PESHAWAR, Nov 19: Five shops and three houses were destroyed, causing losses in millions, when fire broke out in a shopping are on Arbab Road in the busy Saddar Bazaar on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses told Dawn that fire erupted in one of the five shops at around 11am reportedly due to short-circuit.

The fire started in Wishes Gifts Centre, which engulfed the nearby shops and three houses on the first floor of the old building, said an eyewitness.

But another witness claimed that Music Valley, an audio and video cassettes shop — first caught the fire.

The fire completely destroyed Wishes Gift Centre, Music Valley, Vanity Boutique, Shah Brother Garments Store, three houses and partially damaged Abdullah Jan Departmental Store. Nobody was injured.

“As always the fire brigade engines and the city government arrived at the scene about an hour after the fire started,” said Mumtaz Jan. It took them two hours to extinguish the fire.

“I admit that there are only seven fire brigades in the city, and these are not well-equipped,” said District Nazim Azam Afridi, who was there to console the traders.

On the Arab Road traders’ demand, the Nazim promised to compensate those traders whose shops were destroyed by the fire.

Talking to this correspondent, the shopkeepers complained about the mismanagement seen in the fire brigade department of the Cantonment Board.