Burnt beyond recognition, the tourists' bodies were retrieved from the debris of the gutted houseboats near ghat nine on the lake, a popular attraction for tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, the officials said.
The cause of the fire, which engulfed five houseboats and as many huts attached to those, was not immediately known.
The officials said preliminary investigations suggested that the fire broke out in one of the houseboats in the early hours due to malfunctioning of a heating appliance.
The victims' DNA samples were extracted to establish their identities, the officials said, adding they are believed to be from Bangladesh and included a woman, according to the records being maintained by the houseboat operators.
The bodies will be identified through DNA samples with the family members of the victims before being handed over, the officials said.
Property worth crores of rupees were destroyed in the fire that broke out around 5.15 am. The blaze was brought under control after hectic efforts by locals and fire and emergency services personnel, the officials said.
This was the second major fire incident involving houseboats that are anchored on the Dal and the Nigeen lakes. In April 2022, seven houseboats were gutted in a devastating fire on Nigeen Lake, mostly popular among foreign tourists, on the outskirts of the city. However, no one was hurt in the incident.
Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Aijaz and senior tourism department officials visited the scene of the blaze on the Dal Lake and assured all possible help in rebuilding the damaged houseboats, the officials said.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) also expressed its grief over the fire incident and said, “It is indeed a great loss to the heritage houseboat population.”
Javid Ahmad Tenga, the KCCI president, in a statement urged the Lt Governor-led Jammu and Kashmir administration to assess the losses and extend the necessary moral and monetary compensation to the victims on a war footing to ensure their rehabilitation.
It also demanded quick permission for the reconstruction of the gutted houseboats and for ensuring supply of the required quantity of timber at the earliest.
The accident took place at around 11.50 pm near Triveni hotel, Sidhrawali. A speeding oil tanker coming from Jaipur broke the divider, went to the other side and collided with a car and a pickup van. The passengers were travelling to Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. The car was engulfed in fire due to the CNG cylinders inside it.
A team from Bilaspur police station reached the spot and the fire was extinguished with the help of the fire brigade.
According to the police, the deceased friends were identified as Jitender, resident of Samalkha in Panipat; Lokesh Saini, resident of Anaj Mandi, Jind; and Pawan Dubey, native of Bihar
The deceased driver of the pickup van was identified as Trilok Sharma, resident of Chilhar village near Pataudi in Gurugram.
Investigating officer ASI Vinod Kumar said the three youths worked in a private company in Manesar.
Following the complaint by a friend of the deceased, an FIR has been registered against the tanker driver under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at Bilaspur police station.
“When we reached the spot, the car was gutted and three people burnt alive. The driver of a pickup van also died on the spot,” said Vinod Kumar, the investigating officer.
The incident took place when the bus, which departed Babughat in Kolkata around 5 pm, reached Madhabpur area around 10 pm on Friday, a police officer said, adding the AC bus was moving slowly.
At least 30 people travelling in the bus tried to rush out of the vehicle by smashing side windows. Some of them fell into a roadside ditch. Several of them were admitted to nearby hospitals.
The driver and the helper also jumped out of the vehicle after stopping it, he said.Fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, the official said, adding the cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.