Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday clarified that the fire incident reported near the Dol Dam area, about half a kilometre from Kabutar Khana, involved an old, abandoned houseboat and was jointly handled by Fire and Emergency Services Srinagar and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Officials said the affected houseboat, “Cherry Stone”, owned by Ghulam Ahmad Dabloo, was non-operational and without any active electrical connections, ruling out the possibility of an electrical short circuit at this stage.
As per preliminary findings, the fire first broke out in a patch of aqua grass and later spread to the abandoned houseboat. In the incident, around half portion of the houseboat was damaged, while the remaining structure was saved due to timely action by the fire and rescue teams.
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Authorities said the loss assessment is yet to be ascertained and the matter is under investigation. No official estimate of damage has been issued so far, and the exact cause of the fire has not been officially concluded.
The operation was closely monitored by Deputy Director F&ES Dr. Mir Aqib Hussain, along with Mobilising Officer Aijaz Ahmad Shah, and was called off after completion of the cooling process.
Officials have urged media to verify facts before publishing reports, stating that any information on the cause of fire or loss assessment at this stage is premature and incorrect.
