Baramulla: At least twenty-nine families were rendered homeless after seventeen residential houses were completely damaged in an incident of fire in Old Town Baramulla last evening.
Eyewitness said that fire broke out from a double-story residential house in Mohalla Jalal Shab in Old Town last evening and continued through Tuesday morning, damaging 17 residential houses by the time it was controlled, leaving some 29 families without homes.
“The massive fire destroyed seventeen residential houses and several other structures. We have lost everything. We appeal to Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Deputy Commissioner Baramulla for immediate relief and rehabilitation,” Saqib Ahmad, one of the victims, said.
“We have suffered massive damage as all goods and belongings were destroyed,” said another victim Shahid Hamid Najar.
A police officer said that due to narrow lanes, fire tenders couldn’t reach the spot directly, which is why there was so much damage.
An official of Fire and Emergency Services said that the cause of fire may be the gas leakage even though we are still investigating it.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of North Kashmir, Maqsood-ul-Zamaan, along with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Minga Sherpa, and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, Gurinderpal Singh, visited Mohalla Jala Sahib to assess the devastation caused by the fire.
During the visit, the officers personally interacted with the affected families, acknowledging the gravity of their losses and assured them of administration’s support.
The DC distributed ₹10.60 lakh from the Red Cross Fund to the affected families as an initial relief to help them address their most immediate needs as they begin to recover from the tragedy.
The DC also assured the affected families that additional financial aid will be provided under SDRF norms and directed the Tehsildar Baramulla to complete the necessary formalities for further assistance within two to three days.
To ensure swift rehabilitation, the DC directed the Executive Officer, Municipal Council Baramulla, to arrange temporary accommodation for the displaced families. Additionally, the Assistant Director of Food and Civil Supplies was instructed to provide one month of free ration to all affected families.
