Pulwama, Nov 26,: At least four sawmills and a residential house were gutted in a nocturnal fire incident along the Srinagar-Anantnag Highway in Barsoo area of Awantipora.
Local sources told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the fire emanated from a band-saw mill and rapidly spread to three adjacent mills and a nearby residential house, leaving properties worth lakhs in ruins.
They said the fire ravaged the sawmills, reducing timber worth lakhs to ashes. Muhammad Aslam Bhat, the owner of the properties, said that the timber lying on the ground turned into ashes within a short span of time.
An official from the Fire and Emergency Department said that the blaze was brought under control with the hard efforts of firefighters.
The police have initiated an investigation into the incident, registering a case to determine the cause of the fire. [KNT]
