Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, July 16: A massive fire broke out today in a Government building of the Rajouri Development Authority (RDA), located in the scenic park area of Mankot, nearly 3 kilometers from Rajouri town.
The sudden blaze caused widespread panic among local residents and resulted in the complete destruction of the building and its contents. Eyewitnesses said that the fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire structure within minutes. Despite swift action by the local population, the police, and the fire department, the building-reportedly serving as a government office-was completely gutted.
The situation was further complicated by the building’s location across a river, which hindered direct access for fire tenders. Undeterred, local residents and fire personnel displayed exemplary bravery by manually fetching water from the river to contain the flames.
“Thanks to the timely and coordinated efforts of the local community and firefighting teams, the fire was eventually contained. However, significant damage had already been done,” said a police officer present at the scene.
Preliminary reports point towards a possible short circuit as the cause of the fire, but the exact reason remains to be unconfirmed. The district administration has ordered a thorough investigation to determine the cause and to assess the total loss incurred.
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