Fire guts shops in Jammu's Nehru Market on Diwali night
At least a dozen shops were destroyed in the historic wholesale hub as 64 fire incidents were reported across the Jammu region.
A fire broke out at the Warehouse Nehru Market in Jammu at approximately 9.15 pm on Sunday, destroying at least a dozen shops. According to reports from The Hindu, The Pioneer, and Kashmir Observer, the blaze occurred in one of the city's oldest wholesale hubs for foodgrains and essential commodities during Diwali celebrations.
The Fire and Emergency Services Department stated that the presence of edible oil in the shops helped the flames spread rapidly. While the exact cause of the fire is unknown, no casualties were reported. A separate fire also occurred at a storeroom in the Kathua district police lines at 9.50 pm on Sunday, with no reported injuries there either.
Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta alleged that the fire brigade's response was delayed by 90 minutes despite a nearby station. He claimed this negligence allowed the fire to engulf around 15 shops. However, fire officials maintained that they sent two tenders from the closest station immediately and then moved more vehicles from other locations to assist.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Vikas Kundal said the blaze was largely controlled by the time he arrived. BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa noted that at least eight shops were destroyed, with losses estimated in crores of rupees. He suggested that the administration should have positioned fire tenders in major markets following a previous fire at Shiv Market on October 25.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha both expressed grief and directed the administration to provide immediate relief to the affected traders. Officials noted that firefighting teams were stretched due to 64 fire incidents reported across the Jammu region during the festivities.