Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 24: At least three residential huts were gutted in a fire incident that erupted in Dal Lake area this evening.
According to a Fire and Emergency Services official, the incident was reported at 6:35 p.m. at Boulevard, Ghat number 2. All nearby fire stations, including the river station and Rainawari station, promptly dispatched fire tenders to the scene.
The fire broke out behind the houseboats, engulfing the tin-shed residential huts. He said firefighters quickly installed fire pumps and worked relentlessly to contain the blaze.
“We are currently assessing the extent of the damages, and the information will be shared once the estimates are complete. Thankfully, there have been no casualties or injuries. The local residents provided immense support during the firefighting operation, which significantly facilitated our efforts,” the official stated.
When questioned about the delay in response, the official clarified: “We have a river fire station nearby, which was the most appropriate to handle this situation. We coordinated effectively, and there was no need for another fire station here,” he said.
However, a local resident blamed the SDRF unit stationed in the lake, alleging their failure to respond promptly. He demanded action against their negligence.
The tourists claimed that the firefighting operation faced a delayed start, resulting in the loss of their belongings. “The fire tenders took a long time to begin the operations. The first fire tender encountered a malfunction, causing a further delay. We lost crucial time, and as a consequence, all eight of our bags were destroyed. If this incident had occurred in Meerut, it would have been contained within four minutes,” Pawan Kumar, a tourist from Meerut, said.
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