MANSEHRA: Four shops and a house were destroyed in the main Shinkiari bazaar fire on Wednesday night.

The fire was apparently caused by an electrical short circuit at one of four shops. The residents and police tried in vain to extinguish the raging fire using water and sand. It was put out by the fire tenders.

Trader leader Mazhar Bashir demanded of the government to compensate shopkeepers for damage.

PROTEST THREATENED: The residents of Hawa Galli area have warned that they will block the Oghi-Mansehra Road if the reconstruction of the local basic health unit destroyed by the 2005 earthquake doesn’t begin within a week.

“The district council approved Rs5 million funds for the BHU rebuilding almost a year ago but work on it hasn’t been launched yet despite the completion of tendering process and other formalities,” former councillor Mohammad Fiaz told reporters in Oghi area on Thursday.

Leading a group of residents, Mr Fiaz said the Hawa Galli BHU was destroyed by the 2005 earthquake but it had been functioning in tents without adequate facilities for 14 years.

He said the women patients were the worst affected by the situation as the BHU didn’t offer mother and child care.

Resident Anwar Zeb urged the chief minister to order an inquiry into the delay in the BHU’s reconstruction to identity culpable people for punishment.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020