Jammu: At least 64 fire incidents were reported across the Jammu region during Diwali celebrations, including 53 between 5 pm on Sunday and 3 am on Monday, officials of the Fire and Emergency Services Department said.
Jammu district accounted for the highest number of incidents, with 30, including a major blaze at Warehouse Nehru Market, one of the city's oldest wholesale commercial hubs dealing in foodgrains, edible oil and essential commodities.
The fire broke out in a shop around 9:15 pm and spread to adjoining establishments. Officials said the presence of large quantities of edible oil added to the intensity of the blaze. Fire tenders from several stations across Jammu city were rushed to the spot, and the flames were brought under control by midnight.
At least a dozen shops were gutted in the incident. Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta put the number at around 15 and alleged that the fire brigade responded late.
"What started as a small fire has engulfed around 15 shops... this is a complete failure and gross negligence on the part of the fire brigade," he alleged. Gupta claimed that only two fire engines arrived nearly 90 minutes after the first call, despite a fire station being barely five minutes away.
However, Fire and Emergency Services officials maintained that two tenders from the nearest station were immediately dispatched and additional vehicles were mobilised from other stations. BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa said at least eight shops were destroyed.
Four major fires were reported in Jammu district. Apart from the Warehouse Nehru Market blaze, a five-storey commercial building housing cloth and footwear shops at Pahari Mohalla was gutted.
Another fire at Shalimar damaged the third and fourth floors of a five-storey building housing a medical store, while a hardware godown at Gangyal was also affected.
A separate fire broke out at the district police lines in Kathua district.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Vikas Kundal, who visited the market, said Fire and Emergency Services personnel, police teams and the civil administration were at the spot and the blaze had been largely brought under control.
Firefighting teams were stretched by simultaneous calls from different locations across the Jammu region during Diwali night, officials said.
Elsewhere, the Delhi Fire Service received 214 fire-related calls on Diwali. In Maharashtra's Thane district, 11 fire incidents were reported on Sunday. The district administration subsequently banned sky rockets and similar aerial firecrackers following concerns over fires caused by burning residues from fireworks. (With inputs from PTI and media reports)