Massive fire breaks out in 200yr old Sufi shrine in Srinagar

, Jun 25: A massive

has broken out in a 200-year-old heritage Sufi shrine of Dastageer Sahib. The incident happened on Monday morning reportedly close to 6 am. Fire tenders have been rushed to the area. There is considerable anger among locals since it took a long time for officials to act in spite of timely intimation. No casualties have been reported so far.

The fact that the shrine is mostly made up of wood has added to the damage. The town is considerably tense as the shrine of Peer Dastageer Sahib is highly revered in Kashmir. The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Latest reports suggest that all the relics of the 11th century saint is safe. A senior officer of the local fire brigade department has been quoted as saying to agencies, "Fire broke out inside the Peer Dastageer Sahib Shrine in Khanyar locality of the city around 6.30 am today. Dozens of fire tenders have been pressed into service. The firefighting is still going on at the shrine although the old wooden structure appears to have suffered massive damage. The cause of fire is being ascertained".

The locals have joined in the efforts to douse the fire that has been raging since morning. The shrine is revered by people across religious lines with the Muslims calling it the saint Ghaus-e-Azam, while the Hindus revere the saint as Kahnoow.

OneIndia News