Kulgam, Mar 09: At least twenty five shops and three residential houses were gutted besides property and goods worth lakhs of rupees was reduced to ashes in a massive blaze at Nehama village of Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Officials told said that 25 shops, housed in a double-story old shopping complex in Nehama market and three houses in the afternoon of Tuesday were damaged in the fire besides goods and property worth lakhs were reduced to ashes.

Tehsildar Damhal Hanjipora, Niyaz Ahmad Bhat said that total 17 souls were affected after the fire engulfed the whole shopping complex, damaging at least 25 shops and three houses belonging to Abdul Satar Wani, his sons Javid Ahmad Wani and Fayaz Ahmad Wani all from Nehama, Kulgam.

He said five fire tenders were rushed to douse the flames. “It was after hectic efforts that the fire was controlled.” he said.

A police official said fire broke out in a shop apparently due to a short circuit and within no time engulfed in the three houses near the market.

Meanwhile, the locals alleged that it took time for the fire servicemen to reach the place of incident.

They appealed the local administration to come forward and to help the affected people with compensation—