Srinagar: A mosque and three residential houses were damaged after fire broke out at Eidgah area of the old city here this morning, officials said.
The fire, officials said, originated from a mosque around 11:15 in the morning and quickly spread to three nearby residential dwellings at Firdous Colony Eidgah, creating total chaos and panic in the area.
The incident comes 10 days after a massive fire broke out at Bohri Kadal area, leaving the historic Bazar Masjid, more than a dozen houses and equal number of shops gutted.
Local residents told ‘Kashmir Images’ that the upper storey of the mosque was completely destroyed while the attic portion of three residential houses were also damaged in the conflagration.
“The moment we noticed the flames raging from the mosque’s top story, we immediately alerted the Fire and Emergency Services department,” Tariq Ahmad, a local resident told ‘Kashmir Images’.
Nine fire tenders, he said, were dispatched by the Fire and Emergency Services to the scene as soon as the locals alerted them about the conflagration.
Confirming the incident, Divisional Fire Officer (DFO) for the city Mohammad Noor Alam informed ‘Kashmir Images’ that a mosque and three residential houses were damaged in the fire.
“We hurried to the scene to douse the flames, sending nine fire tenders from five nearby stations, including one from Babademb. We’re trying to figure out as to what caused the fire,” the officer said, adding the fire was brought under control with the help of local youth and the police.
He said the attic portion of three residential houses was partially damaged while the upper storey of the mosque was completely gutted.
People should turn off their LPG connections and avoid placing them under the roof before leaving their homes, as the heat wave may easily cause the LPG cylinders to catch fire, he warned.
“Please repair or replace your outdated wiring with high-quality wires,” he advised the people.
