Muslims strike in Kashmir

A general strike has been called today in Indian-administered Kashmir, by the separatist All Party Hurriyat Conference, in a protest over the burning down last Tuesday night of a Muslim shrine.

Shops and offices were closed throughout the Kashmir Valley and there was little traffic on the roads.

Police say the fire which destroyed the 600 year old shrine, in the township of Tral, south of Srinagar, was accidental and was caused by an electrical short-circuit.

People in Tral say the authorities did not act fast enough to save the shrine.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service