A massive fire swept through the interiors of the Aabi Gurpora area of Dal Lake Srinagar, gutting at least 18 structures, mostly wooden, the Fire Department said on Tuesday.
An official from the Fire and Emergency Services Department said that firefighters faced significant challenges in accessing the interior location, forcing them to lay pipes for over a kilometer to combat the blaze.
He added that fire tenders arrived promptly but were unable to reach the site due to accessibility issues, necessitating the parking of tenders 800 meters away. "We deployed our river stations from Nigeen and Nehru Park, but the non-motorable terrain hindered our ability to extinguish the flames promptly," the official stated.
The inferno was eventually brought under control through the joint efforts of locals, firefighters, police, and State Disaster Response Force (SRDF) personnel.
MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq visited the spot to assess the situation and assured the affected residents of all possible assistance. He said the police have registered a case and will investigate the incident to determine its cause.