Massive fire guts hardware shop in J&K's Akhnoor, losses worth lakhs

A massive fire broke out at a hardware shop and adjoining godown in Akhnoor, triggering panic in the market area and causing losses estimated to be worth several lakhs of rupees.

According to eyewitnesses, flames erupted suddenly and spread rapidly through the premises, which stored paint, chemicals and other highly inflammable hardware materials. Thick black smoke billowed into the sky and was visible from several kilometres away.

Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and firefighters battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control.

“The biggest task for us was to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby shops,” a firefighter said.

Police and civil administration officials also reached the scene to supervise rescue and control operations.

While no casualties were reported, officials said the entire stock, furniture and billing records inside the shop were destroyed in the incident.

Authorities suspect a short circuit may have triggered the fire, though an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause and rule out other possibilities.

The blaze also disrupted normal activity in the Akhnoor market area as roads around the shop were temporarily blocked to allow the movement of fire tenders. Traffic movement on the main road remained affected for some time.