Srinagar: A mosque, around 15-20 residential houses and over a dozen shops were completely destroyed in a devastating blaze at the congested Bohri Kadal area of the old city here this afternoon.
The fire, according to locals, broke out at Bazar Masjid Bohri Kadal around 2 pm that engulfed other nearby structures within no time, resulting in total chaos and confusion in the area.
A private vehicle (Santro car) parked alongside the main road was also damaged as a result of the intense heat from the raging flames.
Several multipurpose fire-tenders and dozens of firefighters from nearby stations rushed to the scene to put out the fire, but by then, the residents alleged, the fire had done significant damage.
The devastating blaze damaged a mosque (Jamia Masjid Ahli-Hadees, also known as Bazar Masjid), a few residential structures and shops, according to Aqib Hussain Mir, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services.
“Details on the losses caused by the fire can be assessed only after the blaze is extinguished. I am in touch with the officials who are making every effort to douse off the flames,” Mir told ‘Kashmir Images’.
When asked as to what could be the potential reason for such a massive fire, he said that an investigation was underway and that any findings would be communicated accordingly.
About fifteen to twenty residential dwellings, a mosque, and about a dozen shops were completely destroyed by fire, confirmed the Divisional Fire Officer (DFO) for City Mohammad Noor Alam.
“The firefighting effort is still ongoing, but we have been able to put it out in part. The incident damaged at least 15–20 houses, a mosque, and around a dozen shops. Since the operation is still ongoing, we cannot provide accurate details at this stage,” he told ‘Kashmir Images’.
Locals, however, accused the Fire and Emergency Service personnel of causing an excessive delay in getting to the scene, claiming the damage of this level would not have occurred had the firefighters reached well on time.
“Everyone knows that downtown is a crowded area where a spark may quickly trigger a fire. As soon as we noticed flames from the mosque, we alerted the fire and emergency services. But before the firefighters arrived, a great deal of damage had been done,” Muneer Ahmad, a local shopkeeper told ‘Kashmir Images’.
The fire, he claimed, began at 2:00 pm and could not be put out until late in the evening.
