Jammu, Oct 26 (PTI) A massive fire ripped through a market near Jammu Railway Station, gutting around 40 shops and reducing a bustling commercial stretch to rubble, officials said on Monday. No casualties have been reported in the blaze, which broke out at 10.45 pm in Shiv Market on Sunday. The blaze continued to rage for over five hours, leaving behind a trail of destruction and dealing a major blow to shopkeepers whose livelihoods depended on the market."We received a call at around 10.45 pm and immediately rushed fire tenders from seven fire stations to the site. Firefighters worked tirelessly for several hours to bring the blaze under control. After hectic efforts, the fire was brought under control at around 4 am, following which the cooling operation continued for a few more hours to prevent any possibility of the fire reigniting," a Fire and Emergency Services official said.He said one fire tender was still stationed at the site as a precautionary measure, while personnel continued to monitor the affected area.The official said the exact damage to shops, merchandise and other property was still being assessed.

"The assessment of the damage is underway. The exact value of the property and goods destroyed in the fire is still being calculated, and it would be premature to give a final figure at this stage," the official said.However, officials said around 40 shops, mostly dealing in food supplies, dry fruits and blankets, were gutted in the devastating fire.  Preliminary investigations suggested that a short circuit in one of the shops triggered the blaze, which spread rapidly across the market, fuelled by winds, they said.  The narrow approach to the market posed a major challenge for firefighters, making it difficult to reach the affected shops directly, the officials said.  They said firefighting teams had to approach the blaze from the rear side of the market to tackle the flames and prevent the fire from spreading further.Despite sustained efforts by the emergency services, the fire continued to consume merchandise and shop structures for hours before it was finally brought under control. 

As the fire spread through the market, several shopkeepers were seen desperately trying to retrieve whatever goods they could before the flames reached their establishments. Shopkeepers described scenes of panic and helplessness as the flames spread rapidly through the market."We saw the fire spreading from one shop to another, and within a short time, the situation became extremely difficult to control. We tried to take out whatever goods we could, but the flames were spreading so fast that there was very little time," Bitu Sharma, a shopkeeper, said.He alleged that the fire tenders reached the spot nearly one-and-a-half hours after the fire broke out, claiming that the delay hampered efforts to contain the blaze and salvage goods from the shops.Sharma said the fire had caused extensive damage to the market, leaving traders facing huge financial losses./Agencies