Aadil Nazir
Sopore, Oct 09: A short circuit, triggered by heavy rain and gusty winds, sparked a fire that gutted an apple shed in Sempora, Sopore, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday evening, destroying a year’s harvest and leaving a fruit grower in deep distress.
The blaze broke out around 6 pm in the shed belonging to Manzoor Ahmad, locals said. The shed was packed with freshly harvested apples and boxes, all of which were reduced to ashes. The backside of Ahmad’s house also suffered damage.
“It was a whole year’s hard work kept in this shed. The apples had recently been picked and stored here. Everything turned into ashes, everything is lost. Even the backside of the house was damaged,” said locals who witnessed the fire.
It was only due to timely intervention by locals and police personnel that the fire was brought under control and further losses were prevented.
Locals have appealed to Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar and Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar to support Ahmad, whose losses are huge. They also urged the administration to provide adequate compensation so that he can repay the orchardists whose apples he had purchased this year.
Speaking to The Web Story/The Varmul Post, Manzoor Ahmad said he has not been able to sleep since the incident. “It has been a very hard time since yesterday. My year’s hard work has been destroyed in the fire. I couldn’t sleep. There are huge losses. I appeal to the government to help me,” he said.
Parveena Akhter, a neighbour, said the fire broke out at around 5:45 pm after an electricity transformer near the house short-circuited amid heavy rain and a windstorm.
She appealed to the administration to support the victim so that he can bear the losses.
