Two scrap collectors killed, 80 temporary shelters gutted in fire in J&K’s Srinagar
Srinagar: At least two scrap collectors were killed, and nearly 80 temporary shelters were gutted in a blaze in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district.
Officials said the two scrap collectors were killed after a massive fire engulfed temporary shelters in Durbal, Bemina, in Srinagar in the early hours.
“The fire broke out at around 12:23 a.m., engulfing approximately 80 makeshift shelters constructed from tarpaulin and wood. An empty poultry farm and a tipper were also damaged in the blaze,” they said.
“Fire tenders from Fire Stations JVC and Rawalpora, along with additional reinforcements from Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters Batamaloo, were pressed into service to bring the fire under control,” the officials added.
Eye-witnesses said flames had spread across the entire area before the Fire and Emergency Services were called in to douse the blaze. After the fire was brought under control, two bodies were recovered from the debris.
The deceased were both residents of Delhi. They were identified as Mohd Noor Alam (27), son of Abdal Wahab, living in Durbal; and Al Ameen (16), son of Mohd Rafi, living in Kupwara. Both were working as scrap collectors in Durbal, Bemina.
“The bodies were handed over to local police after completion of FSL proceedings. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Police have registered a case in this incident,” officials added.
Fire incidents occur more frequently in the Valley these days due to the dry weather. Human activities cause roughly 80 per cent to 95 per cent of all accidental fires, the officials have said.
Unattended or improperly extinguished campfires are a leading trigger for blazes. Carelessly discarded cigarette butts tossed from vehicles or while walking, burning yard waste, trash, or agricultural/slash-and-burn fields that get out of hand, sparking from chainsaws, vehicles, or dragging tow chains on dry roads, and fallen power transmission lines, all these are major causes of accidental fires in Kashmir, especially during dry weather.