Dozen houses gutted in Kaghan valley inferno

MANSEHRA: Around a dozen houses were gutted after a fire engulfed the Jarad Pati locality in Kaghan valley in the wee hours of Thursday.

“We had burnt firewood to brave the severe cold. However, the fire caused an electric short-circuiting in our house and spread in the vicinity within no time,” Shah Faisal, a physically challenged person who was rescued by the locals, told reporters.

Many cattle and sheep were also perished as the locals could only rescue the women and children to the nearby safer places.

The locals reached the spot and started sprinkling sand and water to bring the fire under control but it further raged.

The household and valuables, cash and gold were reduced to ashes in the fire, the locals said.

“We are under the open sky and the government should extend us emergency relief so that we could reconstruct our houses,” Mohammad Gulzar said.

Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao said that teams were dispatched to the affected area to extend all possible help to the displaced families.

“We couldn’t reach the spot timely as it is a remote and difficult mountainous area but teams are now dispatched to carry out relief and other activities,” he said.

An official of Kaghan Development Authority, Assad Shahzad, said they had also dispatched teams to the affected areas.

Meanwhile, a fire also broke out at a general store at Shinkiari road and reduced to ashes goods and other items dumped in it. The Rescue 1122 team rushed to the spot and put out the fire after hectic efforts of hours.