Jammu: Nearly a dozen shops were gutted in a major fire in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir early Sunday, officials said.
No casualties have been reported.
The fire broke out at around 5 am in the Bufliaz central market along Mughal Road, affecting mostly shops constructed of wood and tin.
They said locals, with assistance from army and CRPF personnel, initiated the firefighting operation and were later joined by a team from the fire and emergency services department.
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An official from the Fire and Emergency Services said the blaze was brought under control within 30 minutes, restricting the damage.
Preliminary investigation suggested that the fire was caused by a short circuit in one of the shops and immediately spread to nearby shops, he said.
Locals have expressed strong resentment over what they described as the civil administration's failure to respond adequately to the incident.
"The absence of a fire station in the area turned this into a bigger tragedy. 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," a fire victim said.
The affected traders and residents alleged that the delay in firefighting efforts allowed the fire to spread rapidly, causing extensive damage to shops and property.
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The locals demanded the establishment of a permanent fire station in the area, saying the lack of emergency infrastructure had repeatedly put lives and property at risk.
They called upon the administration to conduct a proper assessment of the losses and extend financial assistance to help affected families and shopkeepers rebuild their livelihoods.
