A morning fire at the Tourist Complex in Kotdwar’s Jhandachowk destroyed the contents of 3 shops and caused partial damage to businesses on the first and second floors on Wednesday. Firefighters and State Disaster Response Force personnel brought the blaze under control after an operation lasting nearly 2 hours.

The fire began at about 6:00 AM inside a store operated by chaat seller Bobby Bhatia, according to trader Vinay Bhatia. Flames soon reached a nearby salon and another shop, damaging the goods kept there.

Smoke and flames also spread towards shops on the upper floors. The incident raised concern because the complex contains warehouses belonging to several traders, with large quantities of goods stored inside.

Firefighters and SDRF join operation

People in the surrounding area alerted the Fire Department after noticing the fire. They also called for a municipal corporation water tanker and began efforts to control the flames before emergency teams arrived.

A Fire Department team reached the complex under the direction of fire officer Bhupendra Tyagi. SDRF personnel also joined the response. 2 fire tenders were used during the operation, while the teams worked to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring shops.

The fire was eventually contained after nearly 2 hours. The available information does not state what caused the fire or provide a monetary assessment of the damage.

Juice seller helps family escape

A family living on the complex’s third floor was trapped after smoke entered their home. Gaurav Sharma’s wife, Navya, daughter Kirti and son Vasu were inside when the fire broke out.

Kuldeep Singh, who runs a juice corner at the complex, used a ladder and rope to bring the 3 family members out safely. His intervention helped them escape despite the spreading smoke and fire.

Trader Vinay Bhatia said the consequences could have been more serious if the fire had started at night. He said the complex houses multiple traders’ warehouses and that a nighttime blaze could have made it difficult to save the building.

Damage reported across complex

The heaviest damage was reported in the shop where the fire started and in 2 nearby businesses. Shops on the first and second floors suffered partial damage after the flames reached the upper levels.

The response focused on containing the fire within the complex and protecting adjacent shops. Fire Department and SDRF teams remained engaged until the blaze was brought under control.

Conclusion

The Jhandachowk complex fire destroyed goods in 3 shops, damaged upper-floor businesses and led to the safe rescue of 3 family members from the third floor. No cause or financial loss estimate has been provided.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where did the fire occur?

The fire occurred at the Tourist Complex in Jhandachowk, Kotdwar.

Q. When did the fire start?

The fire was reported at about 6:00 AM on Wednesday.

Q. How many shops were affected?

Goods in 3 shops were destroyed. Shops on the first and second floors also suffered partial damage.

Q. Which teams fought the fire?

The Fire Department and SDRF personnel responded with 2 fire tenders. A municipal corporation tanker was also brought in during the initial response.

Q. Who helped the trapped family?

Juice corner operator Kuldeep Singh used a ladder and rope to bring Navya, Kirti and Vasu safely out of the complex.

Q. How long did the firefighting operation take?

The teams took nearly 2 hours to bring the fire under control.

Q. Is the cause of the fire known?

The available information does not specify the cause of the fire.