LG announces ex-gratia for kin of deceased, injured
ADGP directs SSP Jammu to investigate incident
Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Mar 14: Four persons including a woman and a toddler were charred alive and over dozen suffered injuries, when LPG cylinders exploded due to fire inside a scrap shop in posh Residency Road area here in the heart of the city this evening.
As per police sources, fire broke out in a scrap shop located in Residency Road area here today. Short circuit in electricity wiring is suspected to be the cause of fire breakout. In the incident, fire flames engulfed the adjoining structures and some LPG cylinders lying inside them exploded, thereby raging the fire.
After getting information about the incident, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh along with SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli rushed to the spot and supervised the fire fighting and rescue operation.
Soon after the incident, police team led by SHO Police Station City Inspector Rakesh Sharma and assisted by Incharge Police Post Residency Road SI Sudershan Sharma had started the rescue operation. Police team from nearby Police Station Peer Mitha led by SHO Inspector Zaheer Mushtaq rushed to the spot and assisted the fire fighting and rescue operation.
Fire fighters along with tenders reached the spot and started operation to evacuate the persons trapped inside the building and to douse the raging ablaze.
Sources said three people, including a child, were charred to death in the incident and 13 others were rescued and rushed to the hospital. Another body was recovered later, which raised the death toll in the incident to four. The fire affected people were mostly workers from Assam, sources added.
The injured persons were evacuated from the site with hectic efforts of police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel assisted by the local people.
All the injured persons were immediately rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here, where they were responding to the treatment, when last reports came in.
The deceased were identified as Saraj-ul-Haq, Ishub, Roban and one and half year old Khalida.
The injured were identified as Marjeema Khatoon of Assam, Anwar Hussain of Assam, Momina Khatoon, Menar-ul-Hussain, son of Mehju Din, Baby (7) of Assam, Asrar-ul-Islam, son of Anwar Hussain of Assam, Anku Ram alias Antu, son of Krishan Lal of Gole Gujral District Jammu, Pappu, son of Babu Lal of Bihar, at present Bhagwati Nagar District Jammu, Nilma, Mehju Din, son of Anwar Hussain of Assam, Sukitam, wife of Zehrulla Islam of Assam, Semirinisa, wife of Ishub of Assam and Suzu Bano (4), son of Ishub of Assam.
The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to mortuary of GMCH Jammu for completion of medical and legal formalities.
An official of Fire and Emergency Services said that fire tenders along with fire fighting team and ambulance were pressed into service. After hectic efforts of couple of hours, the fire was brought under control and later doused, he said, adding that loss in the fire incident is yet to be ascertained.
“Four people died and 14 got injured after a fire broke out in a scrap shop around 6.15 pm. Cylinders inside the shop also exploded”, said Mukesh Singh, ADGP Jammu Zone while talking to the reporters near the spot. He has directed SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli to investigate the incident.
“Over a dozen families were living at the fire incident spot. The fire spread very fast, many of the residents could not escape immediately”, said a fire affected victim Anwar Hussain. Another survivor, Yasmeena Khatoon, said that victims lost everything in the fire.
“We could not retrieve anything and tried to flee the raging fire”, she said, adding that many of her relatives are either injured or missing after the incident.
However, Residency Road Police has taken cognizance in this regard and started investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha has condoled the loss of lives due to the LPG cylinder blast in Jammu.
The Lt Governor has sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each to those who got seriously injured in the unfortunate incident.
The Lt Governor said, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to LPG cylinder blast at a scrap shop in Jammu. My condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for speedy recovery of the injured. Directed the district administration to provide all the necessary assistance”.
“An ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to be given to the families of the deceased in Jammu LPG Cylinder blast incident. Ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh to be given to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 to those with minor injuries”, the Lt Governor said.
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