11 structures gutted in devastating fire in south Kashmir’s Shopian

Shopian, Mar 04: At least eleven structures were gutted in a massive fire in south Kashmir's Shopian town during the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday.

According to an official, the fire started in a bakery in the main market, barely a few meters away from the historic Jamia Masjid, and quickly spread to adjacent shops and residential houses.

The official said that at least 11 structures, including two residential houses, were destroyed in the blaze.

He added that fire tenders immediately rushed to the spot to douse the flames.

Residents from the area said the fire broke out around 2:30 a.m., and fire tenders struggled for at least four hours to bring it under control.

They said additional fire tenders were called from the neighboring Pulwama district as the fire continued to spread uncontrollably.

"All belongings of the affected families went up in smoke in the devastating fire," said the residents.

However, they alleged that the fire trucks from the local fire station arrived without water.

Raja Zaid, a resident and local journalist, said the Fire and Emergency Service in Shopian has only two fire trucks.

"In case of a major fire, the limited resources make it difficult to control the blaze effectively," said Zaid.

Soon after the incident, locals launched a donation campaign to support the fire victims in rebuilding their homes and recovering their losses.