At least 12 shops were destroyed in the Warehouse Nehru Market on Sunday night during Diwali celebrations.
A fire broke out at the Warehouse Nehru Market in Jammu on Sunday night, destroying at least a dozen shops, according to reports from Daily Excelsior and Deccan Herald. The blaze reportedly started in one of the shops at approximately 9.15 pm and spread to adjoining establishments.
The Fire and Emergency Services Department rushed fire tenders from various stations across Jammu city to the site. Divisional Commissioner Jammu Vikas Kundal said the fire had been largely brought under control and efforts were underway to extinguish flames in the remaining one or two shops.
The market has been a wholesale hub for food grains and essential commodities since the 1950s. While the fire occurred amid widespread firecracker bursting for Diwali, the exact cause remains unconfirmed, though the Fire and Emergency Services Department noted the fire spread quickly due to the storage of edible oil.
Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta alleged gross negligence by the fire brigade, claiming that only two engines arrived an hour and a half after the fire started despite the station being five minutes away. BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa stated that at least eight shops were gutted, causing losses estimated in crores of rupees.
A separate fire also broke out at a store room in the Kathua district police lines at 9.50 pm on Sunday. No casualties were reported in either the Jammu or Kathua incidents.
