Chowkibal (Kupwara), July 19: At least 46 shops and 20 residential houses were reduced to ashes in a major fire at Chowkibal, some 25 kilometers from Kupwara township, last night.
 Goods and property worth crores of rupees were damaged in the fire that broke out in a shop late night and continued till this morning. Most of the shops were provision stores, bakeries, food joints, etc as the place used to serve as mandi for Karnah residents.
 Reyaz Ahmad, an eyewitness, told Greater Kashmir that fire tenders from Kralpora, Vilgam and Kupwara reached the spot to douse the flames but it was too late and some tenders were even without water which consumed more time.
 It took 10 hours to control the fire as most of the structures were made of timber.
 People said the Chowkibal area comprising of more than 20 villages was without a fire station adding that all fire stations in the district were short of manpower and machinery.
 Assistant Director, Fire and Emergency Service, Kupwara, Abdul Qayoom told Greater Kashmir that reason of the fire was not known yet. “We are investigating,” he said.
 Tehsildar Kupwara, Abdul Rashid Shah said “We are assessing the losses.” 
CM visits Chowkibal:
 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the fire sufferers this afternoon, he was accompanied by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather and MLA Kupwara Mir Saifullah.
 While interacting with the people, he announced setting up of a fire station at Chowkibal. “The sufferers will be rehabilitated on the pattern of fire sufferers of my own constituency- Ganderbal- and Chrar-e-Sharief,” he said.
 He instructed the administration to supply six months free ration, tents, blankets and other goods on priority basis to the sufferers.
 On this occasion, the people demanded that road to Bungus valley via Drayanyari Chowkibal should be opened.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST