Flames and sparks: Shops gutted in Abbottabad

Firefighters arrived within 15 minutes, started rescue operation

ABBOTABAD: Five shops were destroyed when a fire started in a three-storey building in bazaar  Abbottabad Sunday morning.

According to police officials, the fire was caused by a short circuit. However, no loss of life was reported.

Eyewitnesses told The Express Tribune, the fire erupted at 11am and spread from one of the shops on the ground floor to other parts of the building.

“Merchandise and equipment worth millions of rupees was destroyed in shops on the second and third floor,” said All Traders Association General Secretary Sardar Saeed. “Jehangir Afridi, Aslam Afridi and Mehboob Khan – owners of the shops – have pressed the government to help them restart their businesses.”



According to City SHO Raja Mehboob, the police station next to the building would have also caught fire if firefighters had not arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames.

“Firefighters arrived within 15 minutes and started a rescue operation,” he said.

The SHO added all records and weapons at the police station were shifted to a safer location as a precaution.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2015.