Baramulla, Dec 29: At least 14 shops and a few residential houses were completely damaged in a devastating fire incident in this north Kashmir town on Thursday.
 Witnesses said that fire broke out in an L-Shaped three story building near Tehsil road this morning. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
 Locals noticed flames emanating from one of the shops of the Shopping Complex and within no time it engulfed other shops. “Fire tenders were short of water and even one out of the three fire tenders developed a snag with the result fire could not be extinguished immediately,” locals alleged.
 “Arrival of fire tenders from the adjacent stations and the service rendered by army saved the entire market. Army pressed several water tankers into service and both army and policemen reached the spot and joined the rescue operations” said Adil Ahmad, an eyewitness.
 The Deputy Director Fire Services Muhammad Akbar denied that fire tenders ran short of water.
 “Though one of the fire tenders developed some snag however department was quick enough to call four fire tenders from Sangrama, Rohamma and Sopore, with the result fire was controlled within one hour” Akbar added.
 Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Bhat visited the spot and expressed sympathies with the fire victims. He ensured all kind of help to the shopkeepers and the families affected by the fire.

MOCK DRILL CREATES PANIC, VENDOR INJURED 
 A few hours after personnel of Fire and Emergency Services extinguished the fire, mock drill conducted by it men created panic in the town.
 Witnesses said that vehicles of Fire and Emergency Services appeared in the town this afternoon, making people believe that hospital building had caught fire. People started running towards the building in the melee a vendor Ghulam Nabi Sofi of Azad Gunj Baramulla sustained injuries. 

Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST