47 shops destroyed as fire sweeps through Kappa Gali Bazaar in AJK

At least 47 shops were completely destroyed along with their goods in a fire that swept through the historic Kappa Gali Bazaar in Leepa Valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), some 107 kilometres away from Muzaffarabad, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said on Tuesday. The fire also destroyed a mosque and a hotel, causing significant damage to property in the densely built-up market. According to the SDMA, most shops in the old Kappa Gali Bazaar were constructed of wood, which allowed the flames to spread rapidly and made it difficult to bring the blaze under control. Residents joined rescue efforts, while personnel from Rescue 1122 also took part in firefighting and relief operations. Despite the intensity of the fire, rescue teams and local people managed to save 15 other shops and prevent another mosque from being destroyed, SDMA said. The authority released details of the losses as the assessment of the damage continued. The AJK government pledged to give relief to the fire-victim shopkeepers on a priority basis.