Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: Dozens of fruit and vegetable shops at the Bakshi Nagar Vegetable and Fruit Market here were gutted in a devastating fire today. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported in the incident.
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A police official said that a mysterious fire erupted in the Mandi around 3 am and gradually spread in different directions, causing loss to the PDD utilities and temporary kiosks within the premises.
According to him, the watchman of the market raised an alarm, followed by which the fire tenders were called and pressed into the service to douse the fire.
“It took around 2 hours to completely contain the flames,” he said.
The police official said that an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain the reasons behind the mysterious fire.
Sonu Singh Malik, a vendor at the Mandi, said that around 100-150 vendors have been affected by the fire.
Another vendor, Anil Kumar, pegged the vendors’ losses in crores as he claimed that even the stock of the perishable items has got reduced to ashes in the devastating fire.
He appealed the administration to help the affected vendors by providing them with the immediate support.
Meanwhile, MLA Jammu East, Yudhvir Sethi, visited the aggrieved vendors, and assured them that he firmly stands with them in this hour of distress.
“I will take up the concern of the affected vendors with the concerned authorities on a priority basis to ensure that adequate compensation is provided to individual vendor. We will also explore the possibilities of rehabilitation and restoration of the market at the earliest,” Sethi said.
He further emphasized the need for improved safety measures in all market areas to prevent such incidents in the future and assured that he would raise this issue at appropriate forums.
The BJP leader was accompanied by ex Corporator Dr Akshay, Raman Sharma, Swati Sharma, Mandal President, and Govinda Ashok Kumar.
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