Fire destroys 2 factories in industrial area of Indian controlled Kashmir

Two factories were destroyed Wednesday inside an industrial area in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. The fire broke out inside a confectionery factory at industrial area in Anantnag town, about 51 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. However, there were no reports of people being trapped inside the factories or injured in the blaze. "A sweets factory and a steel fabricating unit were damaged today in a fire that broke out inside the industrial area here," said a police official posted in Anantnag. "The fire was brought under control immediately and there are no reports of any human casualty." Witnesses said the fire started from a confectionery factory and spread to the steel factory adjacent to it with flames leaping upwards. More than half a dozen fire tenders from the region's Fire and Emergency Services department rushed to the spot to douse flames and bring fire under control. Firefighters holding water cannons were seen spraying water on flames to prevent fire from spreading to other factories in the industrial area. More than 50 factories are operating inside the industrial area, police said. Police has registered a case and started an investigation. Preliminary investigations suggest gas leak from a domestic gas cylinder has triggered the fire. On late Tuesday evening fire broke out at building of largest maternity hospital, Lal Ded, in Srinagar, damaging the out-patient department of the hospital. Lal Ded hospital is lone maternity hospital of the region and usually remains overburdened due to heavy rush of patients. More than 500 patients, accompanied by double the number of attendants always remain present inside the hospital.