Srinagar, Jun 25 (KNO): The devastating fire incident on Monday afternoon in the Bohri Kadal area of Srinagar's Downtown has left behind ash and dozens of families in trauma and wailing.
“If the incident had happened at night, the whole area would have been reduced to ashes as it’s a densely populated area and almost all the houses are made of wood. Being in the heart of Downtown Srinagar, a house occupies two families,” said an eyewitness recounting the memory of the fire.
Amid wails and cries, Iqbal Shafi Bhat, the eyewitness and victim of the devastating blaze, said the fire started from Darul ul Uloom, Bazm-e-Tawheed. He added that before this incident, a fire also happened here at the historical Bazar Masjid, but thank God everything was saved.
As per the details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the fire incident, which occurred around 3:30 pm has left a trail of destruction and a series of broken dreams. Around dozens of families have become shelterless, dozens of shops burned to ashes, and the historical Bazar Masjid suffered massive damage, including the Darul Uloom which was also gutted.
The eyewitnesses while recounting the scenes said the fire started from the Darul Uloom, Bazm-e-Tawheed, situated on the masjid, which took the whole masjid and the nearby houses, including the shops, into its flames.
They said that around seven to eight gas cylinders inside the Darul Uloom exploded, which made the fire more dangerous and took around seven to eight hours to douse the flames.
Sahil, a local, said, “We have talked to the Darul Uloom many times about building it in a good manner and not to store LPG cylinders inside. Yesterday, when the incident happened, LPG cylinders exploded inside the seminary, and due to this, the whole area suffered damage."
Mubashir, another eyewitness, added, “If the incident had happened at night, we would have had to carry only coffins. It’s hard to understand why they had about seven to eight LPG cylinders on the fourth floor.”
Forensic experts were also present at Bohri Kadal, Srinagar, who took samples from Bazar Masjid.
Speaking with KNO, they said, "We cannot say anything now, as we have taken samples with us, and after checking them in detail, we can determine the cause of the fire."
An official of the Fire & Emergency Department shared the final report about the damage with KNO. “About ten houses got damaged in the fire incident, along with the historical Bazar Masjid and the Darul Uloom situated on its top storey. About seven to eight LPG gas cylinders exploded inside the Darul Uloom, and about 22 fire service vehicles from many adjoining stations and headquarters were involved in the dousing operation."
Divisional Fire Officer of Srinagar City, Noor Alam, said, "It took us about six to seven hours to douse the fire, and as two vehicles of F&ES are still stationed at the place, the cooling operation continued through the night. The fire was brought under control around 11 pm."
Six civilians and seven firefighters were injured during the firefighting operation, he added.
On the directions of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat, a team of district administration visited Bohri Kadal on Tuesday to provide immediate assistance to the fire-affected families whose houses were gutted in the massive fire on Monday.
“85 blankets, 51 mattresses, and 17 kitchen sets, besides Rs 9 lakh as interim relief from the district Red Cross fund, were given to the affected families,” reads a statement issued by the district administration.
Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq visited the Bohri Kadal on Tuesday to express solidarity with the fire-affected families and the management of the historic Bazar Masjid that has been now turned to ashes.
Mirwaiz hailed the role of authorities and police and called for collective efforts of the administration, business class and youth for the reconstruction of the gutted houses, shopping complex and the historic masjid—(KNO)