Jammu & Kashmir

Wildfire in AJK destroys entire market

90 shops, seven residential houses, seven vehicles and one government food depot were burnt to ashes

M A Mir January 30, 2017

90 shops, seven residential houses, seven vehicles and one government food depot were burnt to ashes.

MUZAFFARABAD: More than 90 shops were gutted Sunday night as a wildfire engulfed Leepa Valley market some 82 kilometers from the capital city of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

A wildfire engulfed the market around 1:00am. Ninety shops, seven residential houses, seven vehicles and one government food depot containing 1,400 bags of wheat and flour were burnt to ashes in the wildfire.

Five houses burnt to ashes in Muzaffarabad

“Due to heavy snowfall it was difficult to extinguish the fire," Jhelum Valley Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hameed Kiyani said while speaking to The Express Tribune on phone from Hattian Bala. Kiyani further added that Leepa Valley is inaccessible from the rest of AJK due to heavy snowfall at Rashian top.

Kiyani further said the telephonic service in Leepa Valley is being restored. The district administration has also been in contact with the local administration and is collecting data regarding the damage caused by the wildfire.

Leepa Valley is famous for its dense forests and natural beauty. Every winter this scenic area receives an average of six to eight feet of snow.