Handwara, Nov 30: A devastating fire left dozens of people in Handwara town of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in distress as their makeshift shops succumbed to the flames.
According to the affected vegetable vendors, the fire destroyed their source of livelihood and plunged them into a dire situation. Approximately a dozen individuals were associated with these shops.
Fire & Emergency Services Handwara responded quickly after receiving a distress call early in the morning. Its officials, along with the Handwara police, rushed to the scene. However, despite their efforts, the blaze completely consumed several makeshift shops before the flames could be extinguished. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
The impacted shopkeepers estimated damages exceeding lakhs and appealed to the district administration for rehabilitation. Many of the affected individuals had taken loans from banks to sustain their businesses. Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Ayushi Sudan, visited the affected shopkeepers. She expressed sympathy and assured them of possible support.
In response to the recurring incidents, Sudan directed the municipal committee officials to install CCTV cameras at the junction to monitor such incidents closely. She said that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
This market faced a similar fate a few years ago when dozens of makeshift shops were destroyed.
