Shop fire in Maharaj Gunj caused by short circuit, say police

SRINAGAR: Police investigations into a fire incident at Maharaj Gunj, in which three shops were gutted on Thursday, have found short circuit as the
cause of the fire, and not arson as suspected earlier.
Senior police officials told Kashmir Reader that an initial finding of FSL report has found that the fire had emanated from inside a shop, while no
incriminating material was found to suggest arson.
“Somebody setting the shop on fire is out of question because no evidence suggests that. To clear any doubts, we had brought forensic teams, which
took samples from the spot, and found short circuit a reason,” an official privy to the investigation told Kashmir Reader.
According to John Mohd Bisati, owner of one of the gutted shops, fire erupted between 7.30pm and 7:45 pm on Thursday when he had gone to a nearby
mosque to offer prayers. He said there was no movement around the shops when he left the place.
“But when I left the mosque at 8 pm, I saw fire bellowing high in the air. As I reached the spot, I found the shops in blazing fire. It is beyond
me to understand how they caught fire,” Bisati said.
Bisati lives near the shop he inherited from his father 70 years ago in one of the oldest markets in the Valley. The shops are located on the back
side of Budshah’s tomb. Bisati said the fire did not last for long, but damaged merchandise worth lakhs.
Two among the gutted shops lost all the goods, besides devastating the structures. The shutters are partially damaged.
Bisati’s dry fruits shop has its shutter intact, but from he has lost all the stock inside, he said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.