Army officer dies in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla while trying to save his dog from fire

SOURCE: HT

An army major and his dog died in a fire incident at Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday, an official said. Officials said Major Ankit Budhraja of Corps Signals, attached with SSTC Gulmarg, was trying to rescue the dog from the fire that broke out inside his hut. The officer successfully rescued his wife and one other dog but couldn’t save the second one.

“The officer and his dog’s body were found in the same room. The officer had 90 percent burns,” said Station House Officer Gulmarg, Aftab Ahmad. “He had brought out his wife and another dog earlier before attempting to save the trapped dog,” he said. Army spokesman Rajesh Kalia confirmed the death of the major in the fire.

Police said that the hut, which caught fire, has four rooms lined in a row and the dog was trapped in the last room. “The fire erupted at the front and spread towards the back and when he rushed in, he could not come out,” said Ahmad.

After rushing out his wife and one dog, the 33-year-old officer from Madhya Pradesh’s Jhansi tried to douse the fire himself till other soldiers arrived to help. He asked the soldiers to take his wife to safety before rushing in again.

“His wife is in shock and has been shifted to Srinagar,” the officer said.

“What is sad is that the officer was being posted somewhere else and was leaving today. He had already packed his bags,” he said.

The police received information at 2:45 am about the fire. they could retrieve the body only after 4 am when the fire was brought under control. The body of the Army officer was shifted to sub-district hospital Tangmarg for further medico-legal formalities. “It was then taken to 92 Base Army Hospital,” he said.

The police officer said that they are trying to ascertain the cause of the fire. “There could be two reasons – either a short circuit or the Kerosene Bukhari which was being used in the hut. The FSL have taken samples and we can come to a conclusion only after a report from them,” Ahmad said.

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