Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, May 17: Four residential houses were damaged in a massive fire incident that broke out in Lal Bazar area of Srinagar on Saturday evening, officials said here.
While the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) teams managed to bring the blaze under control, the local residents, however, have alleged a delayed response by the concerned department.
An official said that the fire, which erupted at around 6:15 PM, quickly spread through a cluster of houses in the congested locality.
He said the first call was received at 6:17 PM, with the initial fire units from F&ES Soura and Nowhatta dispatched. He said soon reinforcements from Hazratbal, Safakadal, and F&ES Headquarters were also mobilized.
“By 7:13 PM, the fire had been brought under control, although dousing operations were still underway,” he added.
The official also added that four fully-involved three-storey residential houses suffered damage in the incident. “Fortunately, no injuries or casualties have been reported,” he added.
However, the local residents expressed dissatisfaction with the speed of the fire service’s arrival. “Despite repeated calls, the initial response from the fire department was delayed, engulfing more homes in a short span,” said a local resident.
“The swift intervention by local police played a key role in preventing the fire from engulfing additional structures,” said one of the residents, adding they are thankful to Station House Officer Ishfaq who mobilized teams and helped the locals in dousing off the initial flames before the fire service arrived.
Moreover, the cause of the fire is being ascertained.
