UPPER DIR: A huge fire gutted two shops in Chukiatan locality of Upper Dir district before it was extinguished by the fire brigade vehicles and local volunteers after efforts of two and a half hours.

Local and rescue sources claimed that the shops caught fire due to electricity short-circuit.

The fire brigade vehicles of the tehsil municipal administration of Dir reached the site immediately after the fire broke out.

Locals said that they had already started making efforts to put out the flame before the fire brigade vehicles reached. However, they could not succeed in preventing the blaze from spreading to other shops due to its intensity.

Huge flames rose high up in the sky that also created problems in efforts to extinguish the fire.

However, the locals with the help of fire brigade vehicles managed to bring the fire under control after a hectic effort.

Two shops were gutted completely and some were damaged partially.

The owners claimed suffering losses amounting to millions of rupees. Fortunately, there was no human loss or injury.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2020