Shops gutted in Balakot

MANSEHRA: A heavy fire, which broke out in a sawmill, gutted many shops in Balakot on Thursday night.The blaze, the cause of which is yet to be determined, erupted near Madina Market and engulfed a large section of the commercial area, reducing shops and essential items to ashes.

Rescue 1122 teams, along with local residents, rushed to the site and, after a two-hour operation, extinguished the fire.

“If the fire had not been brought under control in time, it could have spread to adjoining shops and caused even greater losses,” an eyewitness told reporters.

Locals criticised the government, saying that the Rescue 1122 station located in Naran, far from the tehsil headquarters of Balakot, delayed timely responses to emergencies.“

The government has provided an out-of-order fire tender to the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) Balakot, which mostly remains without water,” another resident said.