DERA ISMAIL KHAN/MANSEHRA: A fire broke out at a customs warehouse in Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday, destroying a large quantity of confiscated goods and causing losses estimated at millions of rupees, police said.
A station house officer (SHO) was injured during stone-pelting and alleged looting of the remaining goods at the customs office.
According to police, the fire reportedly erupted in vehicles parked at the customs facility. Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control after extensive firefighting efforts.
Officials said confiscated cigarettes, betel nut (chhalia), cloth, petrol and other goods were destroyed in the fire. Rescue and fire brigade personnel responded promptly and managed to bring the blaze under control.
Authorities said that the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined and an investigation had been launched to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident.
The extent of the financial losses is being assessed by the relevant authorities. Sources said that after the fire was extinguished, a large number of people gathered at the site and some individuals allegedly attempted to remove goods from the premises.
Customs authorities subsequently sought police assistance to control the situation. SHO Saddar Aftab Alam Baloch and SHO Dera Town, accompanied by police personnel, reached the scene.
According to police, a confrontation erupted when police attempted to disperse the crowd, during which some individuals allegedly resorted to stone-pelting.
As a result, SHO Aftab Alam Baloch sustained a serious head injury after being struck by a stone and was shifted to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital Dera Ismail Khan, where he was provided medical treatment.
Meanwhile, a large-scale wildfire that broke out in the dense Kotkay forest near the city on Friday night caused extensive damage to alpine trees and wildlife.
“Our firefighters have effectively been responding to the frequent incidents of wildfires in different parts of the district. In the latest incident, they managed to extinguish a major blaze that had spread across a large portion of the Dara forest and posed a threat to nearby settlements,” Ibrar Ali, district emergency officer of Rescue 1122, told reporters on Saturday.
Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026