Up in flames: Shop gutted in Mansehra

MANSEHRA:

A general store was destroyed when a fire broke out in Mansehra on Tuesday night, police and eyewitnesses told The Express Tribune. Police officials believed the fire was caused by a short circuit. According to All Traders Association (ATA) President Hafiz Ejazur Rehman, the fire erupted at Shams General Store and destroyed everything inside, causing losses worth millions of rupees to the owner.

“The fire brigade arrived 30 minutes late,” he said. “This resulted in losses worth over Rs1.5 million. Firefighters should have acted efficiently.”

According to Rehman, civil agencies have failed to devise a plan to assist traders in case of an emergency.

“This is disappointing because traders pay millions of rupees worth in taxes,” he said. “I strongly urge the relevant authorities to compensate the store owner.”

Earlier, on Sunday, five shops were destroyed by an inferno in a three-storey building in a bazaar in Abbottabad on Sunday morning. 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 were destroyed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2015.