Blaze guts houseboats on Srinagar lake

Srinagar: Two houseboats afloat in the Nigeen Lake here in Jammu and Kashmir caught fire early on Monday and were completely destroyed, police said.

Prima facie it appears to be a case of electric short circuit, an officer said.

Houseboats are floating wooden dwellings on the waters of the Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake in Srinagar city in addition to the banks of the Jhelum River. Equipped with all modern facilities and luxury comforts, some of the houseboats here are rented out at 5-star hotel rates.

The tradition of houseboat building was started by the British visitors and officials in Kashmir since they could not own immovable properties in Kashmir due to the permanent resident rules passed by the Dogra Maharajas of the state.