Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, July 27: At least 10 families were rendered homeless after 5 residential houses and 4 wooden sheds were damaged in a massive fire that broke out in the Palpora area of Noorbagh in Srinagar last night.
Officials told Excelsior that the cause of the fire was an electric short circuit due to which the fire emerged from one of the houses and engulfed at least 5 houses and 4 sheds during the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday.
“A total of 9 structures were involved in the fire incident which includes 4 single-storied and 1 double storied residential houses as well as 4 sheds,” the officials said.
Soon after the fire broke out from a house at Pamposh Colony of Palpora and engulfed the adjacent structures, the fire tenders from Safa Kadal, Headquarters and Mujgund rushed to the spot and were able to douse down the flames after strenuous efforts.
The residents whose houses and sheds have been damaged include Abdul Rashid Bhat son of Abdul Rehman Bhat, Aijaz Ahmad Mir son of Abdul Qadir Mir, Junaid Hassan, Ghulam Muhammad son Abdul Ahad Sheikh, Peer Mehraj ud Din son of Peer Abdul Ahad, Tariq Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Nabi Dar, Aijaz Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Muhammad Dar and Meraj ud Din Sheikh, son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh.
After the incident, the residents blamed the staff of the PDD for dereliction in duties while stating that they have time and again identified the jumbling of electric wires to the officials which, they said, was the reason behind the blaze.
Also, as the officials of the Fire & Emergency Services said that they reached the spot well in time to douse down the flames, the residents said that the fire tenders reached after the fire had spread and the damage was done.
“While we have not seen any official from the administration reaching out to us so far, the fire tenders reached the spot after quite a delay; from the time we called for help to the point they reached here, the damage was done,” said Rehana one of the affected who has lost everything to the blaze.
She said that they were not able to save anything from the blaze and almost everything was razed to the ground.
“It included everything, be it my jewellery, our savings, matting or copper utensils, we have been left with nothing now,” she said.
Notably, the locals residing nearby have come and provided the affected residents with the necessary help; however, the administration has not so far come forward with any help.
As per the official estimates the property worth 70 lakh rupees was involved out of which there has been a loss of property worth 26 lakh rupees while the property worth 42 lakh rupees was saved.
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