News Kashmir Exclusive
Since past few years fire incidents are on rise in the valley of Kashmir. The fire incidents especially increase in the winter months , when often incidents involving Kangri and blowers adds to the grim reality. Due to more burden on electric circuits short circuit too in winter is a common thing. Just on 27 January a massive fire broke out in a building at Posh area of Rajbagh area of Srinagar . The upper portion of the building was heavily damaged due to fire.
Around four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse off the flames.Many commercial offices were gutted in the fire incidents.It is a worrying fact that facts and figures with reference to fire incidents are worrying in Kashmir. According to the Fire and Emergency Services, there were 2,342 fire incidents in the year 2021, including 341 fires in the month of December 2021, in which property worth Rs. 70 crore was damaged.as per official figures, across Kashmir Division, the Fire & Emergency Department received 2242 fire calls from January to December 2021, during which 75 people lost their lives.
In the fire incidents reported in Kashmir, over 1700 structures have been damaged in one year and the total damage suffered has been recorded as over 70 crore rupees. As per figures, during the period, 448 fire calls were received from district Srinagar which also included 11 false calls.In the fire incidents in one year, 5 lives were lost in the district while 12 were injured and over 350 structures were damaged. As per the officials, in Srinagar, the property worth over 26 crore rupees was also damaged.
During the year 2021, Budgam received a total of 179 fire calls, and over 100 structures were damaged in the incidents of the blaze while the property worth 4.5 crore rupees was damaged.The need of the hour is to raise awareness among masses to stop rising fire incidents especially during winters in Kashmir.We need to widen the horizon of fire stations in the Kashmir valley and provide them with all the latest technology and infrastructure to stop fires immediately . The fireman in Kashmir have displayed immense courage while putting their lives at risk during fire episodes .The damages these fire incidents in Kashmir cause in terms of financial loss and sometimes tragic human loss is matter of great concern.
