Srinagar: A residential house was damaged in a massive overnight blaze at Basantbagh area of the city, leaving the owner, whose two daughters are scheduled to get married at the end of this month, in a perpetual ‘shock’.
The fire, according to locals, broke out from the house of one Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh during the intervening night of Monday. They said the blaze sparked due to the short circuit reducing the whole structure into ashes.
The immediate neighbors of the affected family appealed to the administration to lend a helping hand to the owner of the house so that the marriage of his two daughters is solemnized well on time.
“We noticed thick smolder emanating from the house of our neighbor Sheikh Mushtaq, we tried our best to douse off the flame but failed as the intensity of the blaze was high,” Tariq Ahmad, a local resident told reporters.
With tears trickling down his cheeks, Sheikh Mushtaq who was preparing to host the marriage party of his daughters said the cruel blaze left him in a perpetual state of shock.
“Marriage of my two daughters was due at the end of this month but destiny had some other plans, the cruel blaze snatched everything including my shelter and the gold I had managed to buy over the years for my daughter’s marriage,” Mushtaq told reporters.
He also appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to announce ex gratia relief in his favor so that he is able to perform the marriage of his daughters with honor.
“My hand folded request to the Lieutenant Governor is to announce ex-gratia relief so that I could at least perform the marriage of my daughters on the due date as it may not be possible for us to defer the function,” he added.
