9 shops gutted in fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch

At least nine shops were gutted in a major blaze in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, while another fire at a J&K Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) yard here burnt a parked bus and dozens of tyres, officials said.

The fire in the Mandi area of Poonch broke out from a shop at the Loaran bus stand around 4.45 am and engulfed nearby shops, they said.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot were able to put off the blaze after several hours of hectic efforts, the officials said.

Nine shops were damaged, and the cause of the fire is being ascertained, they said.

The other incident took place at a JKRTC tyre puncture repair workshop in Transport Nagar in the Narwal area of Jammu around 8.30 am, the officials said.

Fire and emergency services personnel doused the flames believed to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, they added.