ITAHARI: Goods, raw materials and equipment worth more than Rs 20 million were gutted when a fire broke out at Laxmi Foam Industry at Khanar of Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City-10 in Sunsari district this morning.

It has been reported that the fire suddenly broke out from the warehouse area of the industry where ready-made goods were stored. Police have speculated that the fire started at 4:00 am when the industry had already closed and there were no workers inside.

The industry is owned by Bhanu Tibadewala. According to Shankar Thakur, manager at the industry, the raw materials of doormat and important machinery have also been charred in the inferno.

Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel, as well as Itahari fire brigade, made attempts to douse the fire sometime after it started.

Fire trucks from Dharan, Inaruwa, Biratnagar, Duhabi and Sundarharaincha were immediately called into the service thereby bringing the huge inferno under control and preventing further damage, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shiva Kumar Shrestha at Itahari-based Area Police Office.

He said the cause of the blaze is yet be ascertained while the loss incurred is being assessed.