A massive fire swept through Shiv Market near Jammu Railway Station late on Sunday night, gutting around 40 shops and reducing a busy commercial stretch to rubble. No casualties have been reported, officials said on Monday.
The fire broke out at around 10.45 pm on Sunday and raged for more than five hours, causing extensive damage to shops and merchandise and leaving traders facing significant financial losses.
A Fire and Emergency Services official said fire tenders from seven fire stations were rushed to the spot after the department received a call.
“Firefighters worked tirelessly for several hours to bring the blaze under control. After hectic efforts, the fire was brought under control at around 4 am, following which the cooling operation continued for a few more hours to prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting,” the official said.
One fire tender remained stationed at the site as a precautionary measure, while personnel continued to monitor the affected area.
Officials said the extent of the damage was still being assessed, adding that the exact value of the property and goods destroyed in the fire had yet to be determined.
Around 40 shops, most of which dealt in food supplies, dry fruits and blankets, were gutted in the blaze, they said.
Preliminary investigations suggested that a short circuit in one of the shops may have triggered the fire. The flames spread rapidly across the market, fuelled by strong winds, according to officials.
The narrow approach to the market posed a major challenge for firefighters, making it difficult for them to reach the affected shops directly. Firefighting teams were therefore forced to approach the blaze from the rear of the market to tackle the flames and prevent the fire from spreading further.
Despite sustained efforts by emergency personnel, the fire continued to consume merchandise and shop structures for hours before it was brought under control.
As the flames spread, several shopkeepers made desperate attempts to salvage their belongings before the fire reached their establishments. Traders described scenes of panic and helplessness as the blaze moved rapidly from one shop to another.
“We saw the fire spreading from one shop to another, and within a short time, the situation became extremely difficult to control. We tried to take out whatever goods we could, but the flames were spreading so fast that there was very little time,” shopkeeper Bitu Sharma said.
Sharma alleged that fire tenders arrived at the scene nearly one-and-a-half hours after the blaze broke out, claiming that the delay hampered efforts to contain the fire and salvage goods.
He said the incident had caused extensive damage to the market, leaving traders facing huge financial losses.
(With inputs from PTI)