Five houses were destroyed and two people injured after a fire, triggered by an LPG cylinder explosion, swept through a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Friday.
The blaze broke out late yesterday in a house in Thachna village and quickly spread to adjoining structures, leaving several families without shelter. The fire spread rapidly due to the close proximity of the houses, officials said.
Teams from the district administration, police, Army and fire services, along with local residents, mounted a joint firefighting operation. Fire tenders were dispatched to the remote location, while LPG cylinders from nearby homes were removed as a precaution to prevent further explosions and contain the fire.
Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma monitored the operation on the ground and said the flames were brought under control after several hours of effort.
CM Omar Abdullah Chief Minister has expressed deep concern over the fire incident in which several structures were gutted, affecting many families. He has asked the district administration to ensure immediate relief, assess losses and provide all necessary assistance to the affected families.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh wrote on X; “Just now spoke to DC Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma, after learning about the fire incident in the Dachhan area, in which a couple of houses were gutted. No loss of life has been reported.
The administration and the Red Cross have immediately mobilised relief material to the spot. Meanwhile, financial assistance is also being arranged for the affected families”.