Srinagar, October 26: Six residential structures were completely gutted in a mysterious blaze at Galwanteng Chattabal area in old city here this afternoon.
Witnesses said the fire broke out from a residential house at around 12:15 pm this afternoon which engulfed five other structures within short span of time at Chattabal Veer.
“I was at my home, at 12:15 pm I heard screams of women. The moment I went out, I was stunned to see my neighbor’s house burning which engulfed other structures within minutes. I don’t know the actual cause of fire,” said Fayaz Ahmad a local.
He said that total of seven houses were gutted in the blaze while few others suffered minor damage.
The fire victims mostly labor-class appealed the government to extend some financial help to them so that they could be able to reconstruct their houses.
“We are poor people, mostly labors. The house of my brother who is a manual labor was razed to ashes. We appeal the government to extend some financial help to us, we will be grateful to them,” Fayaz Ahmad added.
Deputy Director Fire and Emergency Service Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Shah said the intensity of fire was high which involved other structures within no time.
“We received message at 12: 24 pm and instantly rushed fire tenders from nearby Veer and Safakadal stations to the place of occurrence. Since fire was intense I sought services of five more vehicles to douse the flame. One of our fireman has also suffered minor injuries,” the officer told Kashmir Images.
He said ten fire tenders were busy dousing flames which were finally brought under the control after hours of hard work.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Friday expressed grief over the damage to properties due to a massive fire that engulfed half a dozen houses in Chattabal area of Srinagar.
Expressing grief on the fire that left many families homeless, Central Secretary and ex MLA Batamaloo Irfan Shah said, “The incumbent administration should take immediate steps to ensure that the affected families do not face any hardship in the coming winter days. Necessary arrangements should be put in place for them until new structures come up.”
He implored upon the administration to compensate the families at an earliest. “The massive fire incident at Chattabal Srinagar has deprived the affected of all they have got. Need of the hour is to compensate the material loss adequately, so that the distressed families rise again.”
Irfan said that the thickly inhabited areas of Srinagar are prone to such fire incidents and what worsens the situation is the very bleak presence of fire service’s installations in many areas.
Meanwhile party general secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar asked the administration to make necessary arrangements on the occasion of chahalum observance of the martyrs of Karbala.
He implored upon the administration to make available all the necessary facilities during remembrance functions and processions related to the day.
He asked the administration to make sure that the devotees don’t face any problem during the observance.
Senior PDP leader and former finance minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari also has expressed deep shock and grief over the tragic fire incident in which over half a dozen residential houses were gutted in Chattabal area in Srinagar city.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari expressed sympathy with the fire affected families and urged the governor administration to provide immediate help and financial support to all those affected by devastating blaze.
