In a fire that destroyed houseboats in Srinagar’s famous Dal Lake on Saturday, three people lost their lives, according to the officials.

The charred remains of the bodies were found in the early hours of Saturday near ghat number nine.

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Among those who were dead, was a man, a woman, while the gender of the third victim could not be ascertained till the reports last came in.

The fire that started early on Saturday morning destroyed at least five houseboats, turning them all to ashes.

The fire swiftly spread and consumed four other houseboats, leaving a path of devastation in its wake. It is said to have started from a houseboat at Ghat number 9.

Special teams from the fire services department arrived at the scene quickly in order to put out the fire. Estimates of the disaster’s financial cost may be in tens of crores.

While the exact origin of the incident is still being looked into, preliminary indications indicate that a short circuit could have served as the ignition source.