Srinagar: Several structures were damaged in a massive blaze engulfed a Jhelum Market at Batamaloo area here on late Thursday evening.
Officials said fire broke out in the building at Jhelum Market. Fire tenders from multiple fire stations were rushed to the spot. The eyewitness said that massive blazes were seen from a long distance amid the darkness.
“It is a commercial hub and many shops were engulfed in the fire. People were trying to shift goods from adjacent shops. Soon the fire and emergency services reached the spot to douse off the fire,” said a local.
They said the emergency services ensured that the fire did not spread to other buildings. An official from Fire and Emergency told Greater Kashmir that a commercial building was gutted in the blaze.
“It is a three-story building. The building houses many shops including readymade garment shops, and blanket shops which are more prone to fire. Due to the high magnitude of fire, we pressed fire tenders from multiple fire stations into service. These include fire tenders from Batamaloo, Gaw Kadal, Safa kadal and adjacent fire stations,” said the official.
The officials said that the cause of the fire and the total damages are yet to be ascertained as the operation is still on.