Massive fire guts 8-10 houses in Chattabal’s Bhagyas area

Srinagar, Feb 05: A massive fire broke out in the early hours on Thursday in the Bhagyas area of Chattabal here, causing extensive damage to residential structures, officials said.

According to F&ES officials, the State Fire Control Room Batamaloo received a distress call at around 6:31 AM, following which the first fire tender was rushed from Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Safakadal within a minute.

Given the congested nature of the locality, additional fire tenders from F&ES Headquarters, Syed Hameed Pora, Maharaj Gunj, and Babdemb were immediately pressed into service.

On reaching the spot, fire personnel found that three to four residential houses were already engulfed in flames. The situation further deteriorated after two to three LPG cylinders exploded, leading to the rapid spread of fire to adjoining, annexed structures.

Officials said that in total, eight to ten residential houses were gutted in the incident. Firefighting teams later brought the blaze under control, while cooling operations were underway to prevent any re-ignition.

The operation was led by Incharge Fire Station Safakadal, Aadil Zargar, in coordination with concerned Divisional Fire Officers, under the supervision of Deputy Director Fire and Emergency Services, Dr. Mir Aqib Hussain, and Mobilising Officer Aijaz Ahmad Shah.

Meanwhile, ADGP Fire and Emergency Services Alok Kumar (IPS) has appealed to the public to exercise caution, particularly during night hours, and advised against leaving electrical appliances unattended to avoid such incidents.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and is under investigation. (KNC)