Data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act indicates a devastating toll of 486 fatalities and 510 injuries in fire-related incidents, many went un-traced, across occupied Jammu and Kashmir over the past six years.
Activist MM Shuja’s RTI query uncovered a staggering total of 26,354 fire incident calls received by the Fire and Emergency Services Department from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023, KMS reported.
During this period, 486 individuals lost their lives, with 510 others sustaining injuries in various fire accidents. Tragically, nine employees or firefighters also perished while performing their duties.
The financial impact of these incidents is colossal, with assets worth Rs 20,285.48 crore involved in the reported fires.
A breakdown of the data by year illustrates a consistent trend of fire-related tragedies. In 2018, 104 fatalities and 99 injuries were reported from 5,314 fire-related calls. Similar patterns persisted in subsequent years, with 103 deaths and 105 injuries in 2019, 86 deaths and 58 injuries in 2020, 106 fatalities and 62 injuries in 2021, and 68 deaths and 140 injuries in 2022.
Despite the high volume of calls in 2023, there was a slight improvement, with only 19 fatalities and 46 injuries recorded amidst 4,451 fire incident reports received by the department.
Moreover, the RTI data underscores deficiencies within the Fire and Emergency Services Department and in terms of medical facilities.
Additionally, while the cause of many fires remains untraceable, the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) has highlighted the normalization of civilian property destruction by Indian armed forces. The Indian army’s actions, including setting civilian homes ablaze and looting valuables, violate international laws of war.
In 2020 alone, 114 homes were destroyed during military operations. Despite claims that material damage is preferable to loss of life, such actions are deemed unlawful unless absolutely necessary for military operations.—KMS
