Diwali night fires destroy multiple shops in Jammu and Kathua

A major fire broke out on Sunday night in the historic Nehru Market of Jammu city, destroying roughly a dozen shops in a key wholesale trading hub. A separate blaze erupted at around 9.50 p.m. inside a store room at the district police lines in the border district of Kathua. Authorities confirmed that no deaths or injuries happened during either of the two incidents, which took place while people were bursting firecrackers for Deepavali.

The Jammu Fire

The flames started at approximately 9.15 p.m. inside one shop at the old warehouse market and spread rapidly to nearby businesses because of stored edible oil. Fire trucks from multiple stations across Jammu city hurried to the location. Divisional Commissioner Vikas Kundal stated that the blaze was mostly brought under control, with teams from the administration, police, and fire department working to put out the remaining sparks in one or two shops.

Trade And Political Reactions

Warehouse Association president Deepak Gupta criticized the fire department for a delayed response, claiming that only two fire engines reached the area after an hour and a half even though a fire station is located just five minutes away. BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa noted that at least eight shops were destroyed, causing losses worth crores of rupees, and pointed out that this followed a similar major fire at Shiv Market near the Jammu Railway Station. Mr. Randhawa urged the administration to station multiple fire trucks at every major market to prevent future disasters.

Context

Markets storing large quantities of wholesale goods and commodities often face higher risks during festivals like Diwali when firecrackers are widely used. Similar winter festive periods frequently test the readiness and response times of local emergency and rescue services across urban centers.