Ramban, Jan 2: At least half a dozen residential houses comprising multiple families were gutted late Thursday evening in Thachna village of the remote Dachan area in Kishtwar district of Chenab Valley, while two persons sustained minor injuries during firefighting operations.
Officials said the fire erupted in one of the houses in the densely populated village and quickly spread to nearby residential structures.
Locals immediately alerted the authorities, following which local volunteers, teams from the Police, and Army rushed to the spot and initiated rescue and fire control operations.
Fire tenders later reached the area, though by then the blaze had already caused extensive damage to several houses.
No loss of life was reported.
The fire was eventually brought under control through the joint efforts of local volunteers, Police, SDRF, Fire Services, and Army personnel.
Several families have been rendered homeless in the harsh winter conditions as multiple residential structures were completely destroyed.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and is under investigation, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma, along with other senior officers, monitored the firefighting and relief operations.
Notably, the Dachan area is located around 50 km from the district headquarters, often posing challenges for timely emergency response.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in a post on X, said he had spoken to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) regarding the incident and confirmed that no loss of life had occurred.
He said that the district administration and the Red Cross had mobilised relief material and that financial assistance was being arranged for the affected families.
Medalist Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the incident and directed the district administration to ensure immediate relief, assess losses, and provide necessary assistance to those affected.
Member of Parliament from the National Conference, Sajjad Kichloo, expressed grief over the incident and said he had spoken to the Chief Minister to ensure prompt assistance.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Tariq Hamid Karra urged the district and J&K administration to provide immediate relief to the victims amid the severe winter conditions.
Meanwhile, Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar expressed deep anguish over the devastating fire in Thachna village and called for adequate compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families.