MANSEHRA: Ten houses were gutted, and household goods worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes when a fire, caused by an electric short circuit, ripped through an entire settlement in the Kanadana area of Kaghan Valley on Wednesday.

“Fire erupted in a house and spread to others, forcing families to rush to safer places,” Mohammad Sabir, the owner of a gutted house, told reporters.

Firefighters could not reach the area because of the inaccessible mountainous terrain, and residents of nearby villages rushed to the scene and put water, sand and mud on the fire, which was fuelled by strong winds.

Sabir said people from adjoining villages rushed to the scene and made efforts to bring the fire under control.

The fire spread from one house to another because of wood used in the construction of houses. When contacted, Balakot assistant commissioner Hasrat Khan said he had dispatched a team to take part in the rescue and relief activities.

“The team would compile a report on the damage, which will be shared with the provincial government for payment of compensation to the affected families,” he said. He said no loss of life was reported from the blaze, which had been brought under control.

HUNGER STRIKE: Traders, transporters and people from other walks of life on Wednesday observed a hunger strike against the installation of a toll plaza in the Khatain Da Galla area on the Karakoram Highway.

“People had opposed the toll plaza. However, they agreed to its installation after the authorities committed to widening the road and constructing underpasses and bridges in Mansehra city. However, no progress has been made on the commitments,” Malik Waheed, a protester, told reporters at the hunger strike camp.

The residents of Ghazikot organised the hunger strike camp outside the central mosque on Abbottabad Road.

“The National Highway Authority (NHA) is collecting toll at six points on the Karakoram Highway and Hazara Expressway within a five-kilometre distance,” Mr Waheed said.

He said the NHA had submitted a surety bond with the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench, committing that the income generated through toll tax would be spent on widening a section of KKH and constructing underpasses in Mansehra city and its suburbs, but the promises remained unmet.

He said the hunger strike camp would continue till the toll collection point was removed.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026