Massive fire guts hotel in snow-covered northern India, locals thrown snowball to douse the fire
by Surya PrakashA local hotel was damaged in a massive blaze that broke in northern India’s Jammu and Kashmir However, the officials claimed that they had to face tremendous hardships while reaching the spot due to the narrow snow-covered roads.
The incident took place at a ski-resort in Gulmarg on February 28.
Visuals showed the hotel on fire with the flames coming out of the vents and windows. The sound of fire charring the structure was heard loud and clear as the flames raged on and engulfed the buildings. Men were seen trying to fight the fire with the help of water jets but it clearly was not enough. Few locals were seen throwing snowballs as an attempt to douse off the fire.
An official said that a three-storey hotel went up in flames at Gulmarg this morning following which the fire and emergency services were informed to douse the flames.
Mir Arif, Deputy Director, F&ES headquarter said that they received information about the fire outbreak in a hotel ‘Pine Palace Platinum’. “We have sent the men and machinery to the site, though given the intensity of the blaze, it may take time to put out the raging flames,”he said.
He said that the challenges faced by firefighters was due to the presence of heavy traffic congestion on the narrow, snow-covered roads leading to the hotel and the limited accessibility impeded the timely arrival of fire tenders and rescue teams, which prolonged the duration of the incident and exacerbated the extent of the damage.
However, the officials said the hotel structure was damaged completely while no casualty was reported during the incident.
Moreover, all the tourists present in the hotel were safely evacuated.
The statement indicated that representatives from civil administration, such as GDA, Municipality, and Jal Shakti, were instructed to stay vigilant until the fire was completely extinguished.
To prevent fire incidents and ensure adherence to safety protocols, a joint team from the Fire Service department and GDA will conduct a thorough fire audit of all hotels and structures in Gulmarg starting tomorrow.
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