More than 60 fire incidents reported across Jammu division during Diwali
A major blaze at the Warehouse Market near Bikram Chowk gutted at least 10 shops on Sunday night.
More than 60 major and minor fire incidents were reported across the Jammu division during Diwali celebrations, according to The Tribune. Jammu district recorded nearly 30 incidents, while Samba and Kathua reported 10 cases each, including a fire at the District Police Lines in Kathua.
Doda recorded nine incidents, Udhampur and Reasi reported eight, and Kishtwar reported three. Rajouri, Poonch, and Ramban districts each reported four incidents. In Jammu, a five-storey commercial building in Pahari Mohalla was gutted, a medical store building in Shalimar was damaged, and a hardware godown in Gangyal was affected.
The most significant fire occurred at the Warehouse Market near Bikram Chowk around 9.30 pm on Sunday. The blaze was reportedly triggered when a firecracker landed in a cotton godown, causing flames to spread to adjoining shops storing edible oil containers.
Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta alleged that the Fire and Emergency Services Department provided a delayed response. He claimed only two fire tenders were initially dispatched and additional vehicles arrived nearly one-and-a-half hours later.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited the site and stressed the need to strengthen institutional preparedness and create a dedicated standard operating procedure (SOP) for fire-prone commercial areas. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed officials to ensure immediate and comprehensive relief for those affected.
During a visit by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Minister Javed Rana, traders and shopkeepers raised slogans expressing dissatisfaction with the government's response.