Srinagar, July 11
A major fire destroyed a two-storey wooden annexe on the premises of the civil secretariat here on Thursday.

Though no loss of human life was reported, official records pertaining to the technical education, higher education, forest, accounts and treasury departments were gutted.

Eyewitnesses said they first noticed flames coming out of the building at 9 am. “Soon, the flames spread and engulfed the entire building. The firefighters were immediately alerted,” said Abid Ahmad, a resident of nearby Shutra Shahi area.

While some locals alleged that the firemen reached the spot late, Director General of Fire and Emergency Services GA Bhat refuted the charge. “The structure was very old and wood in the building was dehydrated (having no water content). We pressed 15 fire tenders into service, but it is difficult to control such a blaze,” he said.

Bhat said their main focus was to prevent the flames from spreading outside the secretariat premises.

The fire was brought under control after nearly a two-hour operation by several firefighters.