Jammu, Nov 9: At least 64 fire incidents were reported across the Jammu region during Diwali celebrations, causing extensive damage to commercial establishments and other properties, with Jammu district alone accounting for 30 incidents, officials said on Monday.
The most serious incident occurred at the historic Warehouse Nehru Market in Jammu city, where a massive fire broke out around 9.15 pm on Sunday, engulfing several shops in one of the city’s oldest commercial hubs.
According to Fire and Emergency Services officials, 11 incidents were reported before 5 pm on Sunday, while another 53 occurred between 5 pm and 3 am, coinciding with Diwali celebrations and widespread bursting of firecrackers.
Besides Jammu district, Samba and Kathua together recorded 10 fire incidents, followed by Doda with nine, Udhampur and Reasi with eight, Kishtwar with three, the Rajouri-Poonch belt with three and Ramban with one. An incident was also reported at the District Police Lines in Kathua.
In Jammu city, four major fires caused significant damage to commercial properties. At Pahari Mohalla, a five-storey commercial building housing cloth and footwear shops, along with a basement, was gutted.
Another blaze at Shalimar damaged the third and fourth floors of a five-storey building housing a medical store, while a hardware godown at Gangyal was also affected.
However, the Warehouse Nehru Market fire emerged as the most damaging incident of the night. The market, known for its wholesale trade in foodgrains, edible oil, essential commodities and other daily-use goods, witnessed flames spreading rapidly from an allegedly affected shop to adjoining establishments.
Officials said the presence of large quantities of edible oil further intensified the blaze.
Fire tenders from several stations across Jammu city were deployed to contain the flames. The closely packed shops and warehouses made the operation particularly challenging, with firefighters managing to bring the fire under control by midnight.
Two fire tenders remained stationed at the site, while a detailed assessment of the losses was awaited, officials said.
Meanwhile, Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta accused the Fire and Emergency Services Department of responding late to the emergency, alleging that the delay allowed the fire to spread to around 15 shops.
“What started as a small fire has engulfed around 15 shops…this is a complete failure and gross negligence on the part of the fire brigade. Despite the fire station being barely five minutes away, only two fire engines arrived after an hour and a half,” Gupta alleged.
He demanded accountability and sought the suspension of officials responsible for the alleged delay, warning that the traders would launch an indefinite strike if their demand was not addressed.
The Fire and Emergency Services Department, however, disputed the allegation, maintaining that the initial call was attended to promptly and two fire tenders from the nearest station were immediately dispatched.
Additional fire tenders were subsequently mobilised from other stations to assist in the operation, officials said.
They added that firefighting teams faced considerable pressure as multiple fire calls were received from different locations across the Jammu region within a short span during Diwali night.
Personnel and fire tenders were deployed across affected areas throughout the night to contain the blazes, prevent them from spreading to neighbouring structures and minimise property damage, officials said.
