Families Rendered Homeless on a Freezing Night; Fire Services Accused of Negligence
Karnah, Jan 10 (JKNS): A devastating fire incident occurred late last night in Kandi Karnah, reducing three residential houses to ashes. The affected houses belonged to Khalid Qureshi, Farooq Qureshi, and Danish Qureshi.
The intensity of the fire in Qazi Mohalla, Kandi was so severe that nothing inside the houses could be saved. All household belongings including clothes, jewellery, electronics, bedding, ration supplies, and important documents were reduced to ashes within moments.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire suddenly broke out at around 12:50 a.m. from the house of Danish Ahmad Qureshi, son of Abdul Qayoom Qureshi, and quickly spread to two neighbouring houses, creating panic across the area.
Local residents immediately rushed to the spot and attempted to control the fire on their own, but the flames intensified and the situation soon went out of control.
In the incident, three houses and two cattle sheds were completely destroyed. Several animals, including milch cows and poultry, were burnt alive in the sheds.
Local residents have levelled serious allegations of negligence against the Fire and Emergency Services Department. They alleged that the fire tenders reached the spot after a delay of nearly one hour, and even then, there was a clear shortage of water, while the hose pipes had negligible pressure.
People pointed out that the fire station is located just two kilometres from the incident site, yet the department failed to respond in time.
Residents also expressed strong resentment over the poor condition of fire service vehicles, stating that complaints about faulty engines and malfunctioning equipment are not new.
Despite repeated demands, neither the required number of fire stations has been established in Karnah nor has additional staff been deployed. People accused the government of remaining a silent spectator.
During the operation, a fire service employee collapsed on duty after suffering a heart attack and was immediately shifted to the Sub-District Hospital. His condition is reported to be stable.
When information about the spreading fire and increasing damage reached the Brigade Commander of 104 Infantry Brigade, the Army promptly dispatched around 100 soldiers from four companies to the spot.
The Army personnel worked shoulder to shoulder with local residents and continued operations until 5 a.m., successfully preventing the fire from spreading further.
Locals praised the Army’s timely and effective intervention, stating that without it, the losses could have been far greater.
Tragically, during the incident, an elderly man suffered a heart attack after witnessing the horrific scene and died on the spot. The fire also engulfed two nearby cattle sheds, killing several animals and further aggravating the financial distress of the affected families.
According to locals, the affected families have been left completely helpless, with not even warm clothes to wear during the harsh winter. Residents have strongly urged the district administration and the government to provide immediate and adequate financial assistance, arrange temporary shelter in view of the cold weather, and conduct a high-level inquiry into the alleged negligence of the Fire Services Department to prevent such incidents in the future. (JKNS)
