NEW DELHI: A devastating fire engulfed 13 shops in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Sunday, officials confirmed. The blaze erupted around 5 am in Bufliaz Central Market along the historic Mughal Road, rapidly spreading through a row of predominantly wooden and tin-roofed structures, as reported by PTI.
Local residents, with assistance from Army and CRPF personnel, initiated firefighting efforts before teams from the Fire and Emergency Services Department arrived at the scene. Social media footage captured towering flames consuming the market, with property estimated to be worth crores of rupees destroyed.
An official from the Fire and Emergency Services Department stated that the fire was brought under control within 30 minutes of firefighting operations, preventing further damage. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was triggered by a short circuit in one of the shops, which then spread to adjacent structures, the official added.
The incident has sparked outrage among local residents and traders, who have accused the civil administration of failing to respond promptly. "The absence of a fire station in the area turned this into a bigger tragedy," a fire victim told PTI. "One fire tender from Surankote reached the spot more than an hour after the blaze broke out. We are grateful to the Army and CRPF personnel for their prompt response, which helped save at least four shops from being engulfed by the flames. Sadly, no representative of the civil administration visited the scene to assess the damage or offer assistance."
Affected traders and residents alleged that the delay in firefighting efforts allowed the flames to spread rapidly, causing extensive damage to shops and property. They have demanded the establishment of a permanent fire station in the area, emphasizing that the lack of emergency infrastructure has repeatedly endangered lives and property.
Locals also urged the administration to conduct a detailed assessment of the losses and provide financial assistance to affected families and shopkeepers to help them rebuild their livelihoods. The community has called for immediate action to prevent such incidents in the future.
