Firefighters battle seven-hour blaze in Srinagar as hospital evacuated

Major fire breaks out in Karan Nagar

A major fire broke out at a commercial premises in the Kaka Sarai area of Karan Nagar in Srinagar late on Saturday night, triggering a massive seven-hour joint emergency response. Firefighters from 12 stations brought the blaze under control by 5:30 am on Sunday, ensuring the safe evacuation of all patients from an adjoining hospital.

The Fire and Emergency Services department received the first call at 11:18 pm on October 24, with the first response crew turning out within a minute. The fire originated at Mir Sales Corporation, a wholesale furnishing and blanket unit, before rapidly engulfing adjacent structures loaded with highly inflammable goods including cotton, polythene, and tarpaulins.

Emergency deployment and hospital evacuation

Because the blaze erupted directly opposite the six-storey Medicare Hospital, emergency teams immediately prioritised human safety. Fire crews coordinated with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to carry out a precautionary evacuation of the hospital. All patients were moved out safely without any casualties reported.

While one side of the hospital building sustained indirect damage from intense heat, smoke, and water, firefighters prevented the flames from directly breaching the medical facility.

Multi-station operation controls destruction

The scale of the fire required mobilising specialised equipment, including Bronto skylifts, foam tenders, Emergency Response Teams, and Advanced Rescue Teams. Teams were drawn from across Srinagar and neighbouring districts, including headquarters and stations at S.H. Pora, M.R. Gunj, Babadem, Safakadal, Gowkadal, Nowshera, Rawalpora, Weir/JVC, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Pampore.

Ground operations were led by Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services Command Srinagar, Dr Aqib Hussain Mir, under the overall supervision of Director Alok Kumar. Officials confirmed that an iron shed measuring roughly 100 by 50 feet and adjoining commercial spaces suffered severe structural damage, with goods worth lakhs destroyed. Cooling operations continued into Sunday morning to extinguish underlying hot spots in the densely stored textile stock.

Director Alok Kumar praised the prompt action, teamwork, and courage of the responding teams, noting that their coordination prevented a far larger catastrophe in the densely built commercial hub. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, also commended the Srinagar Police for their seamless ground support during the night operation. Authorities stated that an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.