Historical Masjid damaged in fire incident in Kargil

Kargil, Feb 26 : A historical and one of the oldest Masjids located in Kargil was damaged in a fire incident last evening.

Reports said that the fire broke out at Balti Bazar Masjid at 6.15 PM and within no time it engulfed the entire structure. A shop was also damaged in the incident.

As the fire broke out fire tenders, local volunteers, army, UTDRF teams rushed to the spot for the fire fighting. The blaze was controlled within few hours and prevented from spreading further.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Kargil, Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon along with Deputy Commissioner/CEO, LAHDC, Kargil, Shrikant Suse, and district officers today visited the fire affected site. The CEC interacted with the local residents and expressed sympathy with them following the unfortunate fire incident.

While taking assessment of the damage, Dr Jaffer was informed that the first floor of the mosque was affected by fire causing loss of infrastructure assets and heritage antiques. The CEC was informed that the assessment of the damage will be done by the concerned department at the earliest. The Mohallah Committee requested immediate covering of the rooftop with temporary sheets, and the entire building needs restoration and reconstruction. The committee expressed gratitude to the CEC and district administration for their prompt action in containing the fire, which could have otherwise damaged neighbouring residential houses and the premises of the Imam Barah. The CEC underlined the importance of small fire extinguishers at mohalla level and said the matter will be taken with the Lieutenant Governor. Besides, the CEC directed restoration of water and electricity supply at the earliest which was stopped due to fire incident.

CEC Dr Jaffer was also informed that labourers from the Municipal Committee Kargil have been deployed for debris removal. The CEC said pertaining to the relief and aid for Balti Bazar Masjid, immediate and long term strategies will be discussed with the district administration.

He thanked the army for taking swift action by deputing their fire tenders and for the disaster management activities. He said pertaining to the relief and aid for Balti Bazar Masjid, immediate and long term strategies will be discussed with the district administration. The CEC assured the Mohalla committee that necessary provisions will be made for the provision of solar panels for the Masjid, taking into consideration their availability.

Pertinently the Masjid is one of the oldest Masjids of Kargil district and is known for its historical and heritage importance. The CEC has further requested the general public to remain vigilant and adopt safety precautions to avoid any such incident in the future. He also visited a commercial shop in Kargil Bazar which was affected by fire last night. The CEC assessed the damage and was informed that the assessment of damage will be done at the earliest. ADC Kargil, Ghulam Mohiudin Wani, ACR Kargil, Mohammad Sharif, Administrator MC Kargil/Joint Director Information, Ladakh, Imteeaz Kacho, Additional SP, Nitin Yadav, besides district officers and concerned officers of all line departments accompanied the CEC during the visit.