India, Oct. 9 -- Heavy rain and gusty winds turned disastrous in Sopore's Sempora area after a fire, triggered by an electrical short circuit, gutted an apple storage shed on Thursday evening, officials said.

An official said that the fire broke out late Thursday evening, gutting a godown where freshly harvested apples and packaging boxes had been stored. A portion of the grower's house also suffered damage, reported news agency KNO.

He said locals and police personnel intervened to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading further, but the apple storage unit had already been engulfed in flames.

He said the godown belonged to fruit grower Manzoor Ahmad, who said that he had been unable to sleep since the incident. "It...