Kupwara: A 12-year-old specially-abled girl was charred to death in a devastating fire incident that broke out from a residential house in the Bahadurkote area of Karnah border town on Wednesday night.
An official said that the victim was unable to escape during the blaze due to her physical limitations.
“The fire quickly engulfed the house, making it difficult for the girl to exit safely as she was bed-ridden in the upper storey of the house which fire caught the first,” he said.
Following the incident, locals, officials of the Fire and Emergency Services Department, and the Police launched a rescue operation which averted further damage to the nearby houses.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and authorities are conducting a thorough inquiry to ascertain the circumstances that led to this incident.
The deceased has been identified as Kulsooma Fatima, 12, daughter of Riyaz Hussain Shah of Takiya Bahadurkote, Karnah.
A pall of gloom descended on the entire Karnah after the news of the minor girl spread following which people in large numbers gathered there to participate in her last rites.
The locals have urged the authorities to provide the affected family substantial compensation so that they can construct the house afresh.