Jammu, Nov 10: A devastating fire tore through Kamla Market in the historic Warehouse commercial hub of Jammu on Diwali night, destroying at least eight wholesale shops and reducing goods worth crores of rupees to ashes, though timely evacuations prevented any loss of life or physical injuries.
According to merchant eyewitnesses, the fire originated between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM in a commercial establishment dealing in raw cotton, reportedly after a stray firecracker struck cotton bales stacked beneath an exterior awning. The flames rapidly spread across adjoining business premises stocking highly flammable inventory, including edible oils, refined grains, pulses, and packaging supplies.
The tragedy prompted acute concern among the business fraternity. President of the Warehouse-Nehru Market Federation, Deepak Gupta, expressed grief over the staggering commercial losses and raised questions regarding emergency response times. However, the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department firmly refuted allegations of delay, releasing official time logs and Smart City surveillance records from Asia Hotel Crossing that confirmed emergency tenders were dispatched and reached the scene within twenty minutes of the initial 9:18 PM distress call.
As the blaze intensified, authorities mounted a massive coordinated firefighting operation, mobilizing between 25 and 30 fire tenders from multiple stations across Jammu city. Senior administrative officers—including Divisional Commissioner Jammu Vikas Kundal, Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Ansuya Jamwal—stationed themselves at the site to oversee containment strategies. Firefighting squads battled through intense thermal radiation and choking smoke until the blaze was brought under complete control around 3:00 AM.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah both conveyed profound anguish over the catastrophe, directing the Jammu district administration to expedite comprehensive damage surveys and ensure urgent financial and administrative relief for affected traders. The incident highlighted extreme holiday operational strains, with the Fire Services reporting 60 separate fire calls across Jammu province during the 24-hour Diwali period alone.
Published by True Roots Media