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In J&K, 9 in 10 fire deaths occurred inside homes in 2024

  • Shafat Malik
  • Comments 0
  • 08 May 2026

UT among highest in share of residential fire fatalities

Srinagar, May 07: Nearly nine out of every 10 deaths caused by fire accidents in Jammu and Kashmir during 2024 occurred inside residential buildings, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, placing the Union Territory among the regions with the highest concentration of residential fire fatalities in the country.

The “Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2024” report, prepared under the Ministry of Home Affairs using figures furnished by States and UTs released on Wednesday and accessed by Rising Kashmir states that 88.9 per cent of all fire accident deaths recorded in J&K during the year occurred in residential or dwelling buildings. Nationally, the corresponding figure stood at 60.4 per cent.

The NCRB data comes against the backdrop of repeated residential fire incidents in Kashmir, particularly during winter months, when fires in congested neighbourhoods and timber-heavy housing clusters have often spread across multiple homes within hours.

The report does not provide a State-wise causal breakup of individual fire incidents. However, officials in the Fire and Emergency Services Department have, over the years, identified electrical overload, heating equipment, congested housing patterns, delayed access in interior localities and timber-based construction as recurring risk factors in residential fires across parts of the Valley.

The NCRB figures show that Jammu and Kashmir was among 24 States and Union Territories where more than half of all fire accident deaths occurred inside homes during 2024. Among the regions specifically highlighted in the report were J&K at 88.9 per cent, Karnataka at 83 per cent, Tamil Nadu at 81.9 per cent and Gujarat at 78.4 per cent.

The concentration of residential fire fatalities in J&K also stands out against the national decline in overall fire accidents during the year.

Across India, the NCRB recorded 5,971 fire accidents in 2024 compared to 7,054 in 2023, reflecting a decline of 15.4 per cent. Despite the fall in the number of incidents, 5,888 deaths and injuries to 330 persons were recorded nationally. Of the total deaths, 3,555 occurred inside residential or dwelling buildings.

The NCRB analysis categorises fire accidents by place of occurrence, including residential buildings, commercial establishments, factories, trains, vehicles, schools and government buildings, with the bureau stating that the classification is intended to assist preventive planning and emergency response systems.

In Kashmir, residential fires have remained a recurring feature of winter emergencies, particularly in Srinagar city, where densely packed structures and narrow lanes often complicate firefighting operations.

Over the years, several incidents in downtown Srinagar and other districts have resulted in rows of houses being damaged or destroyed in single fire events. During severe winter conditions, frozen water supply lines and accessibility issues in interior areas have also affected response time during some incidents.

The NCRB report also places the J&K data within a wider national pattern of accidental deaths linked to residential settings and transport infrastructure.

Traffic accidents remained the single largest contributor to accidental deaths in India during 2024, accounting for 42.6 per cent of all such fatalities. The report recorded 4,95,256 traffic accidents across the country, leading to 1,99,443 deaths.

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