Srinagar: Fire in Hazratbal area damages 14 houses

At least 14 residential houses and two boats were damaged in a devastating fire in Hazratbal area in the outskirts of the city on Monday, officials said.

Fire broke out in a house at Dhobi Ghat locality in the vicinity of holy Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake around 3 am and spread to adjoining residential houses, a spokesman of the Fire and Emergency Services department told a news agency.

He said fire tenders were immediately rushed to the scene and after several hours of intense efforts managed to put off the blaze.

However, 10 single storey houses, four double storey houses, two boats and five wooden structures were damaged in the incident, the spokesman said and put the estimated loss in the fire at Rs 1.5 crore.

There was no report of any casualty in the fire, the cause of which was said to be electric short-circuit, the spokesman said.