Houseboat gutted in Dal Lake blaze

Srinagar, Jan 17: A houseboat was completely gutted in a fire incident at the Karpora area of Dal Lake near Dol Dam on Saturday, officials said.

Officials said the houseboat, identified as “Cherry Stone” and owned by Ghulam Ahmad Dabloo, caught fire due to a suspected short circuit. They said the presence of dry grass inside the houseboat caused the fire to spread rapidly, leaving the structure completely destroyed.

The owner told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the houseboat was worth over Rs 2 crore and suffered total damage in the incident. He added that fortunately, no tourists were present inside the houseboat at the time of the fire, averting any loss of life.

Soon after the incident, teams of the State Disaster Response Force, Fire and Emergency Services Department, CRPF, and concerned police units rushed to the spot and launched a firefighting operation. Officials said the fire was doused after hard efforts.

Police have taken cognizance of the incident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. Electrical short circuit as per the owner of the houseboat, is prima facie the cause of the fire. [KNT]