SSB office among 34 shops, 16 structures gutted in massive fire at Doda
NL Correspondent
Doda, April 20
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) office, 16 residential buildings and 34 shops were gutted in devastating blaze that broke out last night mysteriously in the main market of Bhatyas in Bhalessa of Jammu and Kashmir's mountainous district Doda.
The mysterious fire incident took place at around 11:45 am last night from 65 kilometers away from district headquarters in main market Bhatyas in Bhalessa, but there was no report of any injury or casualty in the mysterious fire.
Police and locals began dousing the flames straight away which was spreading rapidly in the market as all the adjoining shops and other structures were mostly made of dry Cedar and Pine wood were damaged within an hour's time.
“We informed the fire tenders at Thathri and Gandoh simultaneously as Bhatyas market is at the distance of 16 km from both the stations, but the operation to extinguish the fire started within no time by locals, police and rescue teams.” said Sub- Divisional Police Officer Gandoh Sunny Gupta.
“The fire was controlled only at 5:30 AM in the morning, but by then, 16 structures and 34 shops were completely damaged,” he said. A camp office of the SSB was also gutted in the fire. No one was injured in the incident, the officer said.
“Police have started an investigation into the incident as this is the third major fire incident in as many months and foul play also could not be ruled out,” Gupta added.
The Thathri-Gandho road remained closed for traffic for over five hours as hundreds of affected families held protest against the inaction of government. They demanded a high-level inquiry into the repeated fire incidents in Bhallessa in which they claim properties worth crores have been damaged and hundreds of people left jobless.
“Government and law enforcement agencies are completely failed to solve the fire mysteries, there were number of major incidents in recent past and want high level inquiry into these incidents, we are also demanding compensation for the effected families.” local said.
“Police have started investigation into the incident by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to unearth any foul play, but cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. This is the third major fire incident in this area, but we have assured people that within 20 days we will crack this case.” Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda Shabir Choudhary said.
“We have increased our patrolling and Nakas in different places and asked my officers to increase vigil especially during nights and suspicious movements of non-locals, “he added.
On April 15, 26 Shops and eight residential houses were gutted in a similar midnight fire incident in Gandoh market, 16 km from Bhatyas and on February 10, four shops, two residential houses were damaged in another fire incident at Malikpura in Gandoh.
Meanwhile, MLA, Bhaderwah Naresh Gupta expressed his anguish and displeasure over the callous attitude of the Government for not establishing full set of Fire Station at Gandoh Bhellasa, despite the fact that number of times this demand was raised in the Upper House as well as in the District Development Board Meetings for establishment of Fire station.
Non seriousness today again put the people of Batyas Bathri in heavy loss due to fire which engulfed and consumed dozens of houses besides shops rendering house and trade less number of families causing loss of crores of rupees.
Naresh Gupta called upon the Revenue Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri who is in charge of Relief and Rehabilitation departments and demanded rupees ten lacs for each effected family as relief and probe in to this incident.
