Student dies in Tral seminary fire, safety audit announced

Pulwama, Apr 04: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have pledged to conduct a comprehensive fire safety audit of all vital institutions in the Tral area of South Kashmir, following a tragic fire incident at a local seminary.
The move comes in response to a devastating blaze that broke out at Darul Uloom Shah-i-Hamdaan in Tral during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, claiming the life of a student and injuring several others.
According to local residents, announcements were made from loudspeakers at a nearby shrine around 11:45 PM on Saturday, alerting people that the seminary had caught fire.
An elderly resident recalled how locals rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.
“We saw huge plumes of fire and smoke rising from the seminary,” he said, adding that personnel from the nearby Fire and Emergency Services station arrived promptly. After strenuous efforts, the flames were brought under control.
Out of the 34 students enrolled at the seminary, approximately 17 had returned from their homes after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with their families and were present that night. Locals reported that while 16 students were successfully evacuated, one tragically lost his life in the blaze.
Several students sustained injuries during the evacuation process.
They were initially treated at a local hospital before being referred to Srinagar for specialized medical care.
Residents expressed anger and concern over the condition of the building, claiming it was dilapidated, located in a congested area, and lacked basic fire safety measures.
They have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
“This is a mysterious fire, and we demand the administration conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident,” said Farooq Ahmad Trali, Chairman of the Citizen Council Tral. He added that the building was situated in a location inaccessible to fire tenders or ambulances.
“At the very least, the building should have been equipped with four fire extinguishers, but there wasn’t even one,” he said, accusing the seminary’s management of gross negligence.
Reacting to the tragedy, Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, expressed his condolences and announced immediate action.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident at Dar-ul-Uloom Shah -i- Hamdaan (RA), Tral. Despite swift action, we sadly lost one young boy. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Injured students are receiving the best care. Immediate relief has been extended, and my office is in constant touch. A fire safety audit of all vital institutions in the area will be conducted,” he said in a post on X.