3 killed, 150 hutments destroyed in devastating blaze in Indian-controlled Kashmir

At least three people were killed and six others suffered burn injuries in a devastating fire that burnt down 150 hutments Saturday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, China's Xinhua news agency reported police as saying.

The fire broke out at a slum in Narwal area early Saturday in the outskirts of Jammu city, the winter capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Three people were killed and six others suffered burns in a fire that broke out today at 12am (local time) inside a slum here," a police official posted at police control room in Jammu said. "Over 150 hutments were gutted in the blaze."

Following the incident, fire tenders were pressed into service to contain the flame and it took four hours to control the fire and douse the flames.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police officials said they were trying to ascertain the reasons that triggered the devastating blaze.

An official at government medical college hospital Jammu said six people injured in the blaze were admitted in the hospital.

"We received three charred bodies and kept them in mortuary," the health official said. "Besides six persons who suffered burn injuries are being treated in the hospital."

Police officials have identified the victims as refugees of Burma.

Apart from the local slum dwellers, the slum was inhabited by dozens of families of Rohingya Muslims who were uprooted in Myanmar.

The Fire and Emergency Services department officials say chances of fire in the region increase as households store various types of fuel. --Bernama