Fire Guts Two Residential Houses, Four Shops In Doda

Bhaderwah: Property worth lakhs of rupees was reduced to ashes in a devastating fire in which two residential buildings and four shops were gutted at Kahara in Gandoh sub division of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

According to reports, two residential buildings-cum-shopping complexes and four shops were consumed in the mysterious blaze at the main market, 46 km from Doda at around 4:30 am.

Police and the firemen from Gandoh and Thathri with the help of locals doused the flames but couldn’t save the two buildings and four shops.

When contacted, ASP Bhadarwah Rajinder Singh said: “The structures were located in densely populated market and all the adjoining structures are mostly made of cedar and pinewood.”

“As of now, fire has been completely extinguished and we are assessing the losses,” he said.

.According to reports, gutted buildings belonged to Abdul Qayoom Butt and Showket Khan of Kahara.

Meanwhile aggrieved over the repeated fire incidents in the area, locals gathered at Kahara and blocked the Thathri-Gandoh road demanding permanent fire tender office at Kahara.

According to reports more than a dozen fire incidents were reported from different areas of Bhalessa in last one year including three devastating fire incidents in Kahara market.