Srinagar, Nov 4: Two persons, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed after a massive fire destroyed around 80 makeshift shelters in the Bemina area of Srinagar, officials said on Wednesday.
The fire broke out around 12.23 am in the Durbal locality and quickly spread through the temporary structures, mostly made of tarpaulin and wood, they said.
An empty poultry farm and a tipper were also damaged in the blaze.
Fire and Emergency Services personnel from JVC and Rawalpora fire stations, along with reinforcements from the department’s headquarters at Batamaloo, rushed to the spot to douse the flames.
Officials said the fire had engulfed the entire area by the time firefighting teams were called, making the operation challenging.
After the fire was brought under control, two bodies were recovered from the debris.
The deceased were identified as Mohammad Noor Alam (27), son of Abdal Wahab, and Al Ameen (16), son of Mohammad Rafi. Both were originally from Delhi and worked as scrap collectors in the area, officials said.
While Noor Alam was staying in Durbal, Al Ameen was residing in Kupwara.
The bodies were handed over to the local police after forensic proceedings. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
