Property worth Rs 50m gutted

Dadeldhura, April 29

A massive fire broke out at Dadeldhura headquarters Baghkhor this morning.

Two shops and two houses were completely destroyed, while ten persons were injured while trying to bring the fire under control.

The fire reduced Baijanath Quilt Industry and Madan Prakash Grocery Store to ashes. Similarly, one house each of Madan Bhatta and Prakash Bhatta were gutted.

Najakat Ali, proprietor of Baijanath Quilt Industry, said the fire had started after a cooking gas cylinder explosion behind the grocery store.

Local trader Manoj Joshi said the fire caused a huge damage as fire engine from the municipality did not arrive in time.

Prakash Saud, former chairman of Dadeldhura Chapter of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said shortage of water and non-availability of fire engine had delayed efforts to douse the fire.

“We had to use dozers to pull down the shops and houses so that the fire would not spread to other houses,” added Saud.

Secretary of Dadeldhura chapter of FNCCI Khemraj Awasthi, who was injured in the fire, said random vacating of the nearby shops had caused more damage to property.

Six traders and four security personnel were injured when they fell while trying to bring the blaze under control.

They are undergoing treatment at Far-western Sub-regional Hospital. “The condition of all injured is normal,” said Dr Dhiraj Bishankhe.

Preliminary investigation shows that property worth more than Rs 50 million was destroyed in the fire, said police. The fire was brought under control after five hours.

Meanwhile, irate traders from Baghkhor vandalised the office of Amargadhi Municipality for its failure to send fire engine to douse the fire in time.

Irate local traders today submitted a memorandum to the District Administration Office, Dadeldhura seeking action against staffers of the Amargadhi Municipality.

Trader Ganesh Bhatta complained that the municipality had failed to send fire engine in two fire incidents at Baghkhor.

Bhatta warned of launching a stern agitation if irresponsible staffers at the municipality were not punished.

Chief District Officer Prem Prasad Luitel said the DAO was planning to hand over the responsibility of dousing fires to the Armed Police Force.

Planning Officer Lal Bahadur Saud at Amargadhi Municipality said they could not send the fire engine as it had been sent to Dhangadhi for repair yesterday.