Srinagar, Dec 08 (KNO): A fire broke out late Sunday night in Srinagar’s Munawarabad area that gutted several timber units and a double-storey commercial building.
The officials said that the blaze has caused loss of crores.
They said the blaze started inside a cluster of adjoining timber units where large quantities of wood were stored—making firefighting operations extremely difficult.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the flames quickly spread to nearby shops on the first floor of a commercial structure.
He said, that the Fire and Emergency Services teams, assisted by police and locals battled for hours to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures. “The heavy stock of timber made it tough to control. It took several hours of coordinated effort to douse it,” an official told KNO.
Moreover, Hazratbal Assembly constituency MLA Salman Sagar, also visited the site, expressed solidarity with the affected traders.
He lauded the efforts of the firefighters.
“Our fire personnel always show great courage while responding to such incidents. It is the duty of the government to provide the fire fighters with modern tools so they can perform their duties effectively and safely,” he told KNO.
Meanwhile, the owner of one of the damaged units also estimated the losses between in crore. “Everything turned to ashes within minutes, but timely action prevented a bigger tragedy,” he said.
Moreover, no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being ascertained—(KNO)