Pulwama, Dec 2: A plywood factory at Industrial Estate Lassipora here suffered extensive damage in a devastating blaze on Thursday night.
 Reports said, fire broke out in Royal Agro plywood factory at about 1 AM causing huge damage to the industrial unit, jointly owned by Banti Singh of Allochi Bagh Srinagar and Abdul Rehman Sofi of Wanpoh Islamabad (Anantnag). Police has put the loss up to Rs 55 lakh as hundreds of plywood sheets were turned into ash.  
 Locals said the fire tenders from Pulwama, Shopian, Keegam and Kakapora reached on the spot and put in strenuous efforts to douse off the blaze.
 Expressing shock over the incident, the unit holders of Lassipora have alleged that the delay in sanctioning of a fire tender was responsible for this huge loss. “These units are mostly owned by unemployed educated youth and they had even earmarked a site inside the industrial area for a fire tender. But the authorities haven’t commissioned any fire tender till date to protect the units,” they said.

2 COPS HURT
 Two policemen were wounded while dousing fire in a house at Budgam.
 Fire broke out in the residential house of Aga Syed Mohsin Al Safvi Al Moosvi Al Rizvi son of Aga Mustafa in Budgam, the spokesman said adding the fire was brought under control with the help of fire tenders, police and locals. However, two police personnel, Prince Kalim (No. 806/Sec) and Irshad Ahmad (No. 856/IRz 9th Bn) deployed with escort of Aga Syed Ruhullah residing in the house sustained minor injuries while extinguishing the fire,  the said adding the injured had been hospitalized. The cause of the fire is being ascertained, he said adding the house suffered partial damage in the incident.
 Fire broke out in the Faisal market Kupwara damaging a garment shop, the spokesman said adding the blaze was brought under control. However, no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident, he said adding the cause of fire was being ascertained.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 3 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST