SRINAGAR: A fire broke out at a groom’s residence in Vilgam village of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday during the Mehndi Raat ceremony, reportedly gutting the house and destroying belongings prepared for the wedding.
The house, owned by Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh, caught fire while family members and relatives were gathered for the wedding celebrations, turning the occasion into one of distress.
A local resident said the blaze destroyed the groom’s belongings and household articles. The resident also alleged that the response from the Fire and Emergency Services was delayed, claiming it took more than an hour for personnel to reach the spot.
“The family had renovated the house recently, but nothing is left now,” the resident said.
The fire also cast a pall of gloom over the wedding celebrations, which were under way when the incident occurred.
The cause of the fire and the exact extent of the property damage were not immediately known.
