Blaze leaves 5 poor families homeless in Pahalgam village

Anantnag, Jul 12: A devastating fire broke out Friday afternoon in Laripora village of Pahalgam, destroying multiple homes and leaving at least five families homeless.

According to local residents, the blaze originated in one of the houses in the congested neighborhood and quickly spread to adjoining wooden structures, reducing them to ashes within minutes.

“The fire has left five families with nothing — everything including their belongings, bedding, clothing, and food stocks has been destroyed,” said Ibrahim, a local resident.

Most of the affected families come from underprivileged backgrounds, and the incident has left them in deep distress.

“I put everything into building this house,” said Shafi Mir, one of the victims, his voice breaking with emotion. “And in no time, it was reduced to ashes.”

Another victim, Abdul Salam Raina, said the wooden structures were quickly engulfed.

The other homes destroyed in the fire belonged to Yaqoob Raina, Hussain Raina, and Ismail Raina.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit.

Fire and emergency services responded swiftly and managed to bring the blaze under control after strenuous efforts, preventing it from spreading further.

Local youth volunteers also joined in the firefighting operation.

Victims and residents have appealed for immediate shelter and relief assistance.

Former MLA Pahalgam and Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir visited the affected families later in the day.

He expressed sympathy and urged the administration to expedite relief and rehabilitation measures.

Mir also appealed to the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA)to allow immediate reconstruction and ensure unhindered supply of building materials to the fire victims.