Swat: Nearly ten shops, in which one of the restaurants included, have vanished after the fire broke out in Bahrain Bazar here in the wee hours on Saturday.
According to the interview of the Bahrain Police, the fire first broke out in the grocery outlet, and it happened because of an electric short-circuit and immediately engulfed the adjoining shops.
According to the SHO Bahrain police station, ‘Bakhtullah’, he got the news of the fire at about 2 am, and when they reached the spot, they noticed that ten shops, including a restaurant, were in high flames.
Local residents claimed that when they saw fire, they immediately called and tried to contact the tehsil municipal administration officials, but they refused to extend any help and stated that they were not allowed to go out at night. Therefore, the locals stated that they informed Rescue 1122 of Khwazakhela and Matta tehsils.
“A Rescue 1122 team from Khwazakhela reached the spot and helped put out the fire,” said Khan Zada, Bahrain Bazaar Traders’ Federation president.
Further, they stated that the rescue team from Khwazakhela had not reached, then the entire Bazar would be burnt to ashes.
According to the affected shopkeepers and owners of the restaurants, they suffered from heavy losses, estimated that millions of rupees, and at the same time requested the government for financial help.
The affected shopkeepers and owners/traders also demanded an inquiry against TMA that they are not providing any kind of help in putting out the fire.
According to Saabir Abdulla, confirmed five shops were gutted entirely, and his relative Ahmed Ghuloom owned all.
And further stated that there are no witnesses who did this because it was too early in the day for anyone to be there.
“There is no other way a fire could have started unless it was done on purpose.”
They demanded real police officers be here in the market, especially at night, in order to protect shops from crazy people who do not know what they are doing or the loss that their pranks can cost others.