A massive fire broke out in the Loran area of Poonch district during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, gutting three residential houses and six shops and causing losses estimated at crores of rupees.According to police, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing the properties and reducing them to ashes. A police team led by Loran Station House Officer (SHO) Younis Khan, along with local residents, rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident and made efforts to control the blaze.Police personnel evacuated the occupants of the affected houses. With the assistance of local residents, they also managed to prevent the fire from spreading to more than 10 nearby residential houses, averting further damage.SHO Younis Khan said the cause of the fire had not yet been ascertained and that an investigation was underway.The damaged properties belonged to Mohammad Yousuf, son of Lassa, and Riyaz Ahmad, son of Abdul Ghani, according to the report.Meanwhile, local residents expressed resentment over the alleged delay in the arrival of the Fire and Emergency Services. They said the fire tender had reached the spot from a location around 15 kilometres away.Residents maintained that a fire tender stationed in Loran could have helped minimise the damage and potentially saved several families from losing their homes and livelihoods.
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