Fire Guts Around 40 Shops at Shiv Market Opposite Jammu Railway Station

Around 40 shops were gutted in a fire at Shiv Market, opposite Jammu Railway Station, in the early hours of Monday, October 26, officials said. No casualties were reported.

The shops mostly dealt in food supplies, dried fruit and blankets. Officials told the GNS news agency that fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and that Jammu and Kashmir Police and local people joined the work to put out the flames. Initial reports put the number gutted at 35 to 40, with no loss of life or injury reported.

What the local legislator saw at the market

BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa estimated that around 35 to 40 shops had been completely gutted. He said the market is a major commercial hub, with shops selling dry fruits and blankets, along with eateries and dhabas.

Randhawa described how the fire took hold. "It started with a short circuit in one shop, and the fire spread rapidly, engulfing surrounding shops. By the time the fire brigade arrived, the entire market had been consumed by the flames. In my estimation, about 35 to 40 shops have been completely gutted," he said, in remarks carried by ANI.

A narrow approach and a long night for firefighters

Officials said the narrow approach to the market made it difficult for firefighters to reach the shops directly, so teams approached the blaze from the rear side.

Reports of the overnight hours differ in detail, and both versions come from PTI reporting. One PTI version said the blaze broke out at around 10.30 pm on Sunday and was brought under control at around 3.15 am. A Fire and Emergency Services official quoted in PTI syndication gave a later set of times, and his account is printed here in his own words.

"We received a call at around 10.45 pm and immediately rushed fire tenders from seven fire stations to the site. Firefighters worked tirelessly for several hours to bring the blaze under control. After hectic efforts, the fire was brought under control at around 4 am, following which the cooling operation continued for a few more hours to prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting," the official said.

The two accounts agree on the main points. A call came late on Sunday night, tenders came from seven fire stations, crews worked for several hours, and a cooling operation followed so the fire would not start again.

Cause, response and what comes next

Preliminary investigations suggested a short circuit in one shop triggered the blaze, and that the fire spread rapidly, fuelled by winds, officials said. The cause is still being ascertained in the GNS report, and police have taken cognizance of the incident.

Randhawa said shopkeepers were cooperating with the administration. He said the Deputy Commissioner, the SP South, the DSP and the SHO and their teams were present at the site, and that members of civil society were providing assistance. He said compensation would be discussed with the administration later.

For the traders who lost stock, that discussion matters most now. With around 40 shops gutted and no casualties reported, the loss on Monday morning is counted in destroyed shops and stock, while officials finish establishing the exact cause.