From July, 645 structures damaged in mysterious fire in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: During past four months of ongoing unrest, the mysterious fire incidents have increased in Kashmir, with October recording 242 struc­tures damaged in fire.

The sudden increase in the mysterious fire incidents have spread panic across the Kashmir as no district has re­mained untouched by these incidents. 645 structures have been damaged from July to Oc­tober, this year.

Official data available with KNS reveals, in October, as many as 242 structures were damaged in mysterious fire incident. These structures in­clude residential houses, shops, vehicles, PDD transformers and shopping complexes.

The fire incidents first oc­curred in south Kashmir and later were also reported from other districts of Kashmir.

In October, this year, the highest number of mysterious fire incidents occurred in Kup­wara witnessing damage to 47 structures, followed by Baram­ulla 38, Anantnag 34, Srinagar 25, Budgam 19, Shopian 19, Pulwama 18, Ganderbal 17, Kulgam 13 and Bandipora 12.

On October 29, this year, expressing serious concern over rise in unabated inci­dents of mysterious fire inci­dents in Kashmir, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), had said “not only schools but even shrines and shops are going up in flames.”

KEA had also said “for the last over a month (September- October) apart from schools, which happen to be our nation­al assets, shrines, masjids and marketplaces were being set ablaze mysteriously as a part of some deep rooted conspiracy.”

On October 11, at least six shops were gutted in a mysteri­ous fire at Qamarwari Chowk.

On October 21, this year, a two storey Masjid and the famous Lalbab Sahib Shrine were gutted in a fire in late evening, in north Kashmir dis­trict Baramulla.

Same evening, the shrine Lader ud Din Sahab was gutted at Anderwan area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

On October 24, four mutton shops were gutted in a myste­rious fire on Sunday night in Kunzar of Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Official data reveals that in the month of July, this year, 176 structures were gutted in the fire. The structures include shops, shopping complexes, residential houses, vehicles and electronic transformers.

The highest number of structures gutted in fire dur­ing July remained in south Kashmir’s district Anantnag, which remained worst hit by the present unrest.

The number, as per official records, is 52 structures, fol­lowed by Kupwara 29 struc­tures, Baramulla 18, Srinagar 15, Kulgam and Pulwama 14 each, Budgam 8, Bandipora 7 and Ganderbal 5.