 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Jan 16: A massive fire has broken out today afternoon inside ‘Sherwani Hall’ in this north Kashmir district. An eyewitness said that the fire broke out at around 2:15 PM this afternoon inside the structure –used as banquet hall for political and social functions. A fire and emergency department official said that, "our men and machinery were on job to contain spread of the blaze, unfortunately the fire spread due to the blast of gas cylinder that was inside the hall".
The timely action from passerby locals, police, army and firemen saved the building from further damage, otherwise the fire would have made an extensive damage to the nearby shopping malls and other structures.
The hall was made in the compound of Municipal council Baramulla, that is being considered as the central point of Baramulla town, this hall was used for various social, political functions.
However a senior official from fire and emergency said that, 'the cause of fire was not immediately ascertained, as it would have been due to short circuit,adding damage would be at least in Lakhs'.
Locals have appealed the LG administration to reconstruct this historical hall, as it was an asset for the district.
An eyewitness said that there should be an in depth investigation into the matter that what lead to the cause of fire, when there was weekend lockdown and no function today due to Covid restrictions.
It is pertinent to mention here that this bouquet hall was made by the Indian army in the memory of Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani, who had sacrificed his life in saving the Baramulla Town from Pakistani raiders and Kabalies in 1947-48. |
