20 huts gutted in fire

Around 20 tenements belonging to fishermen near the Dal Lake here were gutted in a major blaze today, officials said.

The fire broke out in the tin-and-wood huts of the fishermen at Kohnakhan area of Dalgate at 1 AM, a spokesman of the Fire and Emergency Services said.

"We pressed nine stations including a river station and 11 fire tenders to douse the flames," he said.

The spokesman said 17 huts and two double-storied houses were destroyed in the fire, adding that property worth Rs 10 lakh was destroyed in the incident.

Police is probing the cause of fire, he added.