SHANGLA: Three shops and a seminary were gutted after a fire erupted in one of the rooms of the madressah in Mian Kallay area of Alpuri here on Friday.

Residents said that the fire erupted in one of the rooms of the seminary, which engulfed the entire two-storey building and nearby shops soon. The locals made efforts to put out the blaze, but strong winds hampered their effort, reducing the shops and madressah to ashes.

Locals said that approximately Rs3 to Rs3.5 million loss was reported by the affected shopkeepers and seminary teachers. They demanded of the district administration for financial help to rebuild their shops and the seminary.

Meanwhile, a child died at the District Headquarters Hospital, Alpuri, on Thursday night after he had consumed some spurious snacks he bought from a shop in his locality. The child hailed from Guli Butt area of Alpuri.

Officials at the hospital told reporters that Maaz, 8, was brought to the facility in unconscious condition, and they attempted to save his life but he could not survive.

They said that his parents told them that the child’s condition worsened after he consumed some snacks he bought from a nearby shop. This was the second incident, as earlier two children had also allegedly died after consuming substandard snacks. — Correspondent