Seerat-un-Nisa
Bandipora, Nov 21: Around three shops, three residential houses and fruit shed have been damaged in a massive fire erupted in Aloosa village of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday afternoon.
Local residents who spoke to Kashmir Despatch on phone call said that around three shops have been completely gutted, while three residential houses have been partially damaged in this blaze while around 1000-2000 apple boxes have been damaged in the incident.
He also said that the blaze erupted around 3 pm in Aloosa village and rapidly spread to adjoining structures and goods stored in the nearby shops.
Witnesses said thick smoke engulfed the locality as panic-stricken shopkeepers and residents rushed to save their belongings before the flames overwhelmed the area.
Another local resident Mohd Anwar said that the fire could have been controlled before it spread but fire tenders reached an hour late till then the goods were turned into ashes.
Residents alleged the absence of fire service in Tehail every time affects people and said it takes around an hour for fire service to reach the spot from Bandipora until everything was turned into ashes.
One of the local residents Abdul Ahad said that despite being a tehsil headquarter Aloosa did not have a fire service vehicle available.
He said that since 2007, the locals have been demanding fire service vehicles for the Tehsil but authorities are turning blind eye towards them and letting them suffer.
Residents appealed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MLA Bandipora and Deputy Commissioner Bandipora to make availability of one fire service vehicle in the Tehsil so that the properties could be saved on time.
Meanwhile, official sources who confirmed the incident to Kashmir Despatch said that the cause of fire was not immediately known.
He also said that no reports of casualties has been reported in this incident.
