KISHTWAR: At least 20 residential houses were gutted in a massive fire that broke out late Thursday night in Tachna village of the Dachhan area in Kishtwar, causing widespread devastation and leaving several families homeless.
Officials said the fire erupted during the evening hours and spread rapidly due to the close proximity of houses and the predominance of wooden structures. The situation was compounded by the area’s difficult terrain, dilapidated road connectivity, and poor access, resulting in delayed arrival of fire tenders at the spot.
Firefighting and rescue operations continued for several hours amid challenging conditions. Locals also joined efforts to control the blaze, but by the time the fire was brought under control, extensive damage had already been caused.
According to preliminary information, several livestock were charred to death in the incident, while at least four persons sustained burn injuries and were shifted to a nearby health facility for treatment. Their condition was stated to be stable.
Among the houses fully damaged in the fire were those belonging to Firdous Mir, Ismail Mir, Alfa Mir, Ghulam Mohammad Mir, Bashir Ahmed, Liaqat Hussain, Jubran, Zaffer Hussain, Firdous Mir, Waseem, Nadeem, Tossef, Yaseen, Abu Sohail, Mohammad Yousaf, Ismail, Bashir Ahmed, Abdul Kabir, and Ghulam Rasool.
A rented Anganwadi centre was also completely destroyed in the blaze.
Officials said several other structures suffered severe damage during rescue operations, further adding to the loss of property. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and an assessment of losses is underway.
No fatalities have been reported so far. Authorities have initiated steps to provide immediate relief to the affected families. [KNT]
