Tanvir Hussain
Khansahib, Oct 1, KNT: A devastating fire engulfed a residential house in Shalnar village of Khansahib on Tuesday, completely reducing the structure to ashes and leaving a family homeless. The incident was further compounded by a road mishap in which a fire service vehicle overturned while rushing to the spot, leaving four firefighters injured.
The gutted house belonged to Muhammad Shaban Gorsi, son of Ali Gorsi, a local resident of Shalnar. The fire broke out under mysterious circumstances and spread rapidly owing to the wooden architecture of the house. Within minutes, towering flames had engulfed the entire building.
Locals were the first to respond. Alarmed by the fire, villagers, assisted by Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel, rushed to the site and began pouring water and sand in an attempt to contain the flames. Their timely intervention prevented the inferno from spreading to adjacent homes in the densely populated locality. Police later confirmed that despite the extensive damage to property, no loss of human life occurred in the fire itself.
While fire tenders were being mobilized from Khansahib, tragedy struck en route. A vehicle of the Fire and Emergency Services overturned at Kaitch, Khansahib, injuring four firefighters including the driver. The injured were shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Khansahib, where doctors said they had sustained multiple injuries but were stable.
The accident created additional pressure on resources as the firefighting strength was reduced at a critical juncture. Despite the setback, other fire service teams, joined by locals and police, worked relentlessly for several hours until the flames were fully brought under control. By then, the house was completely destroyed.
Police have registered a case in this regard. [KNT]
