Fire destroys shops, police post in Neelum Valley

Dozens of shops, police post and a food depot were reduced to ashes in Neelum valley, officials told.
Some 28 shops, a police check post and civil supply depot of food department with 800 gunnies flour were burnt to ashes in Doarian border village in upper Neelum valley, 120 KMS north-east of here near the Line when fire erupted from a shop engulfed the village bazaar on Wednesday. No casualties were reported.
The fire was ignited from a shop. The shops dumped into ashes along with goods within hours as fire spread within minutes into the wooden structured shops.
Witnesses said the helpless shopkeepers could not save a little from the fire as there is no fire brigade post in the 200 kms long border valley.
The Department of Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) has still not been provided a fire brigade unit for remote valley despite government direction issued two years ago.
The incidents of he fire causing loss of millions had been taken place following Indian shelling from across the Line of Control (LoC) during last three years in which hundreds of shops and houses were gutted in this remote valley.