Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Jan 6: Devastating fire in a packed multi-storey shopping complex in Katra Main Bazar completely gutted more than two dozen shops and reduced valuable goods worth several crores of rupees to ashes, here today.
Even as there was no loss of life, goods worth crores of rupees were completely reduced to ashes in the devastating fire, which erupted in Naya Bazar Shopping Complex near the Subash Hotel in main bazaar of Katra town, late last night.
Despite hectic efforts by the Fire Brigade, it took around five hours to control the blaze while the fire could be extinguished completely only by late this afternoon. Four employees of Fire Brigade also sustained minor injuries in the operation to control the blaze.
According to Police, 28 big and small shops in the market complex have been completely gutted in the fire while the loss of goods is initially estimated to be more than Rs 12 crores. Exact cause of fire has not yet been ascertained and investigations were on but it appears to be accidental or because of electricity short circuit, Police further said.
Intensity of fire and the devastation can be gauged from the fact that Fire Tenders were kept stationed near the gutted market till late this evening as the smoke was still coming out of a few shops and the ashes were warm.
The fire was first spotted by locals around 12.45 a m last night and on being informed, Fire Tenders from the nearby Fire Station in Katra were rushed to the spot within a few minutes. Fire tenders from Reasi, Udhampur and Jammu were also dispatched while help of PHE tankers for supply of water to control the blaze was taken.
However, because of the congested approaching road to the market, the Fire tenders could not perform vigorously and it took more than four hours to control the fire. Even by late this afternoon, smoke was coming out of the gutted shops, housing carpets, dry fruits and other items.
SSP Reasi Vivek Sharma, Joint Director Fire Service Jammu, R T Dubey, Assistant Director Fire Service, Udhampur Command, P K Bhat, SP Katra Kulbir Singh, SHO Katra Ajay Bhat and other officers personally supervised the operation to control the fire. In the early morning, Deputy Commissioner Reasi and MLA Reasi Ajay Nanda also reached the spot.
Reports suggest that the fire apparently started from a wooden craft store on entrance of the Naya Bazar and soon engulfed the entire complex, which housed 28 big and small shops. Even as the Fire tenders reached the spot within half an hour, the fire had spread in all the shops by that time.
Initially three Fire Tenders were pressed into the service from Katra Fire Service Station while three more Fire Brigade vehicles were soon requisitioned from Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi. PHE tankers were used to supply adequate water for dousing the fire.
Since maximum shops in the Naya Bazar were of dry fruits, shawl emporium, artificial jewelry etc, the blazes spread very fast and the entire market was on fire within minutes. Further, there was no emergency fire extinguisher installed in any of the shops in the market.
Police has constituted a team to investigate the matter and ascertain the exact cause of fire even as there are remote chances of any sabotage as there was no blast before the spread of blazes, said a senior officer.
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