Srinagar : Devastating blaze that engulfed a locality in old town Baramulla here in North Kashmir on Monday night damaged over 21 houses and left 33 families homeless.
Officials said that the fire broke out in a congested mohalla. Locals, Fire and Emergency Services personnel, J&K Policemen and others worked tirelessly to control the inferno.
After hours of relentless efforts, the fire was finally extinguished. No casualties were reported but property worth crores was destroyed, they said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, along with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, visited the area and met the victims.
The DC announced an immediate relief of Rs 50,000 for the families whose houses were fully damaged and Rs 10,000 for those whose houses were partially damaged — the assistance was provided from the Red Cross as a temporary relief measure.
Additionally, the Deputy Commissioner stated that Rs 1.30 lakh to affected families will be sanctioned soon from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to aid in their rehabilitation.
“We are committed to supporting the victims of this unfortunate incident. Immediate assistance has been sanctioned, and further steps will be taken to ensure their rehabilitation,” the DC assured.
The Deputy Commissioner also directed the Executive Officer (EO) of the Municipal Council Baramulla to enroll the affected families under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for housing assistance.
Amid the tragedy, the role of local youth, civil society members, and traders was widely appreciated. Many volunteered in the firefighting efforts, offering help to fire and emergency personnel and assisting in the evacuation of residents.
“While the loss is heartbreaking, the unity and resilience displayed by the community are commendable. The timely intervention by the locals, along with the prompt response from the Fire and Emergency Services, prevented the fire from spreading further,” a civil society representative said.
The civil society groups have urged the Government to expedite the rehabilitation process and provide comprehensive assistance. Traders and locals have also called for compensation to support those who lost their livelihoods in the blaze
