JAMMU, NOVEMBER 9: Diwali celebrations kept fire service teams busy across the Jammu region, as 64 fire incidents were reported at different locations on Sunday night, leaving several commercial establishments damaged.
Jammu district witnessed the highest number of emergencies, with 30 fire incidents. The most serious incident took place at Warehouse Nehru Market, where a massive blaze damaged several shops in the busy wholesale market.
Officials said 11 fire incidents were reported before 5 pm on Sunday, while another 53 occurred between 5 pm and 3 am, coinciding with Diwali celebrations and widespread bursting of firecrackers.
Among other districts, Doda reported nine fire incidents, while Udhampur and Reasi recorded eight each. Samba and Kathua together witnessed 10 incidents, including one at the District Police Lines in Kathua. Three incidents each were reported from Kishtwar and the Rajouri-Poonch belt, while Ramban recorded one.
In Jammu city, a commercial building at Pahari Mohalla was among the worst affected. The five-storey structure, which housed clothing and footwear shops, was gutted in the fire. At Shalimar, flames damaged the third and fourth floors of a building housing a medical store, while a hardware godown in Gangyal also suffered damage.
The fire at Warehouse Nehru Market broke out around 9:15 pm and quickly spread to neighbouring shops. The market is an important trading centre dealing in foodgrains, edible oil and other essential commodities. Officials said the presence of large quantities of edible oil further intensified the blaze.
Fire tenders from several stations were deployed to control the fire. The closely packed shops and warehouses made the operation difficult, but firefighters managed to bring the situation under control by midnight. Two fire tenders remained at the site, while a detailed assessment of the damage was awaited.
Meanwhile, the Fire and Emergency Services Department said its teams responded to the emergency at the earliest. Officials stated that two fire tenders from the nearest station were immediately dispatched, followed by additional vehicles from other stations.
They said the department faced considerable pressure as several fire emergencies were reported from different parts of the Jammu region within a short period during Diwali celebrations.
Firefighters worked throughout the night at multiple locations to control the flames, prevent them from spreading to adjoining buildings and minimise damage to property.
