Uri: A double-storey residential house was completely gutted in fire that broke out at midnight on Saturday at Hawa Mod, Gingal in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Local said that the fire began around 11:30 pm in the house of Fazal Din Najar, son of Abdullah Najar, but fire tenders arrived at the scene around 1:00 am.
“Despite repeated requests, the NHPC office, located just half a kilometre away, failed to send its fire tenders on time. Had they responded promptly, extensive damage could have been avoided,” said Rafi Najar, a close relative of the victims.
He claimed that cash worth Rs 5 lakh was also destroyed in the fire. “Property worth crores has been completely damaged, including the stock of the grocery shop that was kept in the house,” he added.
The victims have expressed their frustration with the authorities for not visiting them yet. “We demand compensation for the losses we have suffered. We hope the authorities will take this matter seriously,” said a family member.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
