In a tragic incident, an Army officer lost his life while trying to save his wife and dogs who were trapped in a fire that broke at his residence in Gulmarg area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Major Ankit Budhraja of Corps of Signals rescued his wife and one of his dogs when the fire broke out. However, the officer succumbed to the burn injuries, which were up to 90 per cent and died on the spot. One of the dogs also died in the incident.

Police said that the residence had 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,’ Station House Officer Gulmarg, Aftab Ahmad told The Hindustan Times.

The police were informed about the incident at 2:45 am and could retrieve the body only after 4 am when firefighters and the local police doused the fire.

The body of the major was shifted to sub-district hospital Tangmarg for medico-legal formalities and then to 92 Base Army Hospital.

The police are yet 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 claimed.

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