Three shops, including a departmental store, a residential flat and a SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) were gutted in a midnight blaze, while the inmates had a narrow escape in Mathola area of Jammu and Kashmir’s additional district Bhaderwah.
The shops and departmental store housed in a four-storey complex located on Bhadarwah – Mathola road, 5km from the town got damaged in the fire incident last night, said an official.
He said the fire, which started at 1:30 am on Thursday, completely destroyed the complex belonging to Sepoy Mukesh Kumar son of Prithvi Raj Manhas. One Scorpio car bearing registration number JK02 CL-1265 of Sanjay Anand of Jammu parked near the complex was also damaged in the fire.
Locals and fire tenders immediately started the operation to douse the flames, which was spreading very rapidly as the complex was mostly made of dry cedar and pine wood.
“Whatever the stock accumulation was done in recent days for winters has turned into ashes and nothing could be saved,” said the store owner Omkar Singh, adding that he had recently procured the goods worth 20 lakhs after taking a loan from the bank.
The complex owner’s wife said they had lost everything to the devastating fire. “We have spent all the savings of our life to build a home, but in a couple of hours everything turned into ashes. The only thing I can manage to save from the devastating fire are my two kids, who were sleeping at the time of the incident,” said Darshana Devi, wife of Mukesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, ADC Bhadarwah Rakesh Kumar said it appears that there is no foul play and the fire started due to short-circuit. A team has been already deputed to assess the situation and the family will be compensated, he said.