MANSEHRA: The ancient-style building of the Communication and Works (C&W) Department’s rest house was completely gutted after a massive fire engulfed the multi-room structure in Pattan, the district headquarters of Lower Kohistan, in the early hours of Thursday.
The fire, which, according to locals, broke out allegedly due to an electric short-circuit, engulfed the entire building in no time, gutting it completely.Furniture and other items kept inside the rest house were reduced to ashes. Firefighters, along with fire tenders, rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze after hectic efforts lasting over an hour.
“If the fire had not been brought under control, it might have spread to nearby official buildings,” one of the rescuers said.The deputy commissioner of Lower Kohistan, Tariq Mehmood, who lives near the gutted rest-house, also rushed to the scene and supervised the rescue activities.
According to Rescue 1122, no loss of life was reported as the people staying inside had already evacuated the building.Local sources said that a team of the Anti-Corruption Establishment Department was also residing at the rest-house, but had left it for somewhere else before the fire due to power outages in the area.
