Three persons were killed in a fire that gutted houseboats in Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake on Saturday, PTI reported citing officials.

The charred bodies were recovered in the early hours of Saturday near ghat number nine, they said.

The deceased included a man and a woman, while the gender of the third victim’s gender could not be ascertained so far. Their identification was also being ascertained, according to PTI.

At least five houseboats were reduced to ashes in the fire that broke out early Saturday morning.

The fire, believed to have originated from a houseboat at Ghat number 9, quickly spread and engulfed four adjacent houseboats, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Immediate action was taken by special teams from the fire services department, who rushed to the scene to control the blaze. The financial toll of the disaster is expected to be substantial, with estimates reaching crores.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, however, initial reports suggest that a short circuit may have been the catalyst.