Over 40 buildings, including hotels and stores, were consumed in a massive fire in Sonamarg this Sunday. The incident spotlights the dire need for the Fire Safety Audit for the improved safety measures in frequently visited tourist attraction.
Sonamarg making it to the headlines again is simply not because of its idyllic and majestic beauty but because of the tragic fire incident that happened in the area this Sunday.
“We had asked the hoteliers to keep the minimum fire gap and first aid in place to avoid and mitigate any mishap. This incident is the result of the sheer lack of awareness. The fire is now under-control,” a local said.
Mushtaq Chaya, Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club President, has also expressed deep sorrow and condoled the tragic incident. “I am currently out of the state, but my heart goes out to all the victims. I stand with them in this difficult time,” Chaya said. He pleaded to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and National Conference Vice President and Chief Minister JK Omar Abdullah to provide relief and support to the affected people as soon as possible.
Hotel Sounsar in Sonamarg’s main market is considered to be the seat of the fire from where it started to spread, enveloping the adjacent shops in its destruction causing loss worth of crores. However, due to the immediate response from the locals no causalities were reported. As the market is the key commercial area, the community in Sonamarg is cooperating with the aftermath of the incident.
Fire on Eid day and more, Sonamarg’s concerning history with such hazards
Delays in establishing a permanent Fire & Emergency Services unit in Sonamarg, have been attributed to the Sonamarg CEO by NC leader and Kangan MLA Mian Mehar Ali.
“This incident shouldn’t have happened. The devastation occurred due to the absence of fire tenders,” MLA Kangan Mian Mehar Ali said.
“When I became MLA, Sonamarg traders approached me and made their first demand: the establishment of a Fire and Emergency Service unit here. On December 1, I met ADGP Fire & Emergency Service J&K, who sent a crew to the scene to assess the situation.
“The CEO, Sonamarg, is merely talking and does not work on the ground to fix the situation. This demonstrates his incompetence. If he acted on time, the losses would have been minimized today.” the MLA added.
The latest fire has reawakened demands from the merchants, hoteliers, and the inhabitants of the area for the creation of a local fire station. They contend that the lack of on-site firefighting equipment leads to slow response times, as units must travel from Gund and Kangan, 20-40 kilometers distant, exacerbating the damage.
It is pertinent to mention that the past fire incidents in 2006, 2007, and 2016 have caused devastation of a similar intensity, two decades later the authorities still struggle to establish a fire station. In 2016, the area witnessed a widespread fire on Eid day destroying more than a dozen structures including five hotels. Back then, the concern about the lack of a permanent fire station and the distance between the concerned area and the fire station was also raised. This was the second major fire incident in Sonamarg in the last six years.
Post the massive blaze Sunday night, officials, including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, V.K. Bidhuri, also visited Sonamarg to have a look at the situation.
“Land has been located for the fire station. As a temporary solution, two fire tenders will be stationed, one at Z-Morh and the other at the Youth Hostel.” He said
The commissioner reasoned the absence of a fire station was due to ‘adverse weather conditions’.
He further mentioned, “In terms of relief, the required actions will be taken after we provide the government with the damage assessment report. After the impacted parties file for the required permits, the process of rebuilding these stores will go more quickly.”
In order to mitigate the effects of such tragedies, Bidhuri also advised business owners to insure their properties and follow fire safety regulations. Additionally, he emphasized the necessity of conducting a fire safety audit of every establishment in Sonamarg.
