A massive fire engulfed a resort hotel in Balakot, Kaghan late on Tuesday night, reducing the multi-storey structure to ashes despite frantic efforts by locals and rescue teams to contain the blaze.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly through the building, and despite the efforts of residents and the fire brigade, the hotel could not be saved. The flames were eventually brought under control, preventing the fire from spreading to the adjoining Kaghan market.
The said hotel is a well-known establishment in the tourist-heavy Kaghan Valley. It was owned by Balakot Tehsil Nazim Syed Ibrahim Ahmed Shah and his brother Syed Moinul Haq Shah. The hotel comprised 40 rooms, two event halls, and around a dozen shops, according to Tehsil Nazim Shah.
Speaking briefly to reporters, Ibrahim Ahmed Shah said he was currently in Lahore and unable to comment on the cause of the fire. However, he explained that the shops in the basement of the hotel were warehouses.
Local authorities are expected to begin an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the blaze. No casualties had been reported at the time of filing this report.
