Excelsior Correspondent
BHADERWAH, Dec 24: Three shops including a departmental store, residential complex and a car were gutted in a midnight blaze in Mathola area here.
The shops and departmental store housed in a 4 stories complex located on Bhaderwah-Mathola road, 5 kilometers from the town got damaged in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
The fire, which started at 1:30 am on Thursday, completely destroyed multi storey complex housing 3 shops and 3 residential floors belonging to Mukesh Kumar, son of Prithvi Raj Manhas. One Scorpio car bearing registration number JK02CL-1265 of Sanjay Anand of Jammu parked near the complex was also damaged in the fire.
Locals and fire tenders reached the spot within 20 minutes and started the operation to douse the fire, which was spreading very rapidly as the fire started from middle of the complex and all the adjoining shops and houses are mostly made of dry cedar and pine wood.
As per the owner of departmental store Omkar Singh, the fire broke out at around 1:30 am and engulfed the whole complex, damaging at least 3 shops, residential rooms and a Scorpio car parked outside the complex.
“Whatever the stock accumulation was done in recent days for winters has turned into ashes and nothing could be saved”, he said, adding that he had recently procured the goods worth Rs 20 lakhs after taking loan from the bank.
The complex was owned by Sepoy Mukesh Kumar of Assam Rifles and is presently posted in Manipur.
“We have spent all the savings of our life to build a home, but in a couple of hours everything turned into ashes. The only thing I can manage to save from the devastating fire are my two kids, who were sleeping at the time of incident”, said Darshana Devi, wife of Mukesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, ADC Bhaderwah Rakesh Kumar said, “From the preliminary investigation, it appears that there is no foul play and the fire started due to short circuit. A team has been already deputed to access the losses and we will to compensate the family under UTDRF scheme at the earliest”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
