Jitendra Singh Expresses Shock Over Massive Fire at Jammu’s Warehouse Market, Seeks Urgent Action
Jammu, Nov 9, KNT: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has expressed deep shock over the massive fire that broke out at the Warehouse Nehru Market in Jammu city on Sunday night, causing extensive damage to commercial establishments and inflicting heavy losses on the trading community.
Expressing sympathy with the affected traders, Singh said it was disturbing to hear allegations that the Fire and Emergency Services had not responded promptly to the incident. He appealed to the authorities to take appropriate action and address the situation on priority.
The blaze broke out at around 9:15 pm on Sunday in one of the shops at Warehouse Nehru Market, one of Jammu’s oldest wholesale commercial hubs dealing in food grains, essential commodities and other daily-use items. The fire spread rapidly to adjoining establishments, with reports indicating that at least a dozen shops were gutted.
Fire tenders from several stations across Jammu were pressed into service to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further. The closely packed commercial establishments and the presence of combustible goods, including edible oil, posed significant challenges to the firefighting operation. Divisional Commissioner Jammu Vikas Kundal said the fire had been largely brought under control, with efforts continuing to extinguish the remaining flames.
However, the incident has triggered serious questions over the response of the Fire and Emergency Services. Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta alleged that the fire brigade’s delayed response allowed the blaze to spread, claiming that only two fire engines arrived after approximately an hour and a half, despite a fire station being barely five minutes away. He also alleged that fire brigade officials initially did not answer phone calls.
The allegations have intensified concerns among traders over emergency preparedness and fire-safety arrangements in major commercial markets. BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa also raised concerns over the destruction of shops and losses estimated at crores of rupees, calling for stronger fire-response arrangements at major markets.
No casualties were reported in the Warehouse Market fire, while the exact cause of the blaze remained undetermined in initial reports. The incident occurred amid Diwali celebrations in the city, although officials had not established any link between firecrackers and the outbreak. [KNT]
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