JAMMU: Four people, including a police constable, were charred to death after a fire broke out in a hotel in Jammu city during wee hours of Saturday. At least 12 others sustained severe burn injuries.
Police said that the fire engulfed Hotel Neelam near the main bus stand in Jammu city, a kilometre from city centre Shaheedi Chowk.
“The fire started little after midnight. Immediately after smoke started billowing out of the hotel building fire tenders and rescue personnel reached the spot.”
Police have identified one of the deceased as Selection Grade Constable Rakesh Kumar of Kishtwar. He was presently posted at Rajouri, police said, adding that he may have checked in the hotel for an overnight stay so as to catch a vehicle for his place of posting in the morning.
Though the identity of the other three deceased is being ascertained, sources said that they too appear to be people who may have come to the city in connection with some work from neighbouring districts. The injured have been admitted in the Government Medical College Hospital at Jammu.
The fire started around 2.30 am from a store on the ground floor of the hotel building, where vehicle tires had been kept. Pointing out that the hotel owner was also a local transporter, sources said fire soon engulfed the entire hotel building catching the inmates unaware.
The fire tenders and police parties reached the spot and brought out those trapped in the hotel. Reports said that the hotel was gutted completely in the devastating fire.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Omar Abdullah through his tweet informed that DC Jammu has been ordered to enquire into the circumstances that caused the fire and to ascertain responsibility, if any, for the same. My condolences to the families of those killed in the hotel fire in Jammu today and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured, he wrote.
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