Fire Breaks Out in Srinagar Residential House, Illegal Chemical Dump Found | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: A major disaster was narrowly averted on Saturday night in the Arampora area of Qamarwari after a fire broke out in a residential house that was illegally being used for commercial storage and handling of hazardous chemical material, officials said.

Fire and Emergency Services officials said a fire call was received at the State Fire Control Room at around 8:58 pm, following which fire tenders from Fire Station Safakadal, along with reinforcements from headquarters, were rushed to the spot within minutes.

On arrival, firefighters found that a single-storey residential structure had been unlawfully converted into a commercial unit and was being used for refilling fire extinguishers and dumping large quantities of Mono Ammonium Phosphate powder. Officials said the premises also contained hundreds to thousands of plastic barrels stored within a densely populated residential locality.

The attic portion of the house was found engulfed in flames. Firefighting teams immediately launched an operation and, after sustained efforts, brought the fire under control, preventing it from spreading to adjoining residential houses.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the illegal operation had been running for several years. According to officials, a resident of Punjab, who was involved in refilling fire extinguishers along with his father, told authorities that the activity had been ongoing for the past five to six years. He further stated that the refilling and sealing of extinguishers was carried out at another unit located in Chanapora.

Officials said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and a detailed investigation has been initiated to establish the circumstances leading to the incident.

The firefighting operation was carried out under the overall supervision of Mir Aqib Hussain, Deputy Director, Fire and Emergency Services, Command Srinagar, with on-ground coordination by Mobilising Officer Aijaz Ahmad Shah.

Authorities described the incident as a serious safety violation and warned that the illegal storage and handling of hazardous materials in residential areas pose grave risks to lives and property.