KATHMANDU, JUNE 16

A massive fire broke out in the Oul settlement of Unapani, located in Sarkegad Rural Municipality–3 of Humla district, destroying eight houses and causing significant property damage.

According to the District Police Office, Humla, the fire is believed to have started late Sunday night from the cowshed of local resident Birkha Rawat. The blaze continued until Monday morning and had not come under full control at the time of reporting.

Local resident Dhan Bahadur Rawat confirmed that eight houses were completely gutted. 'The exact cause of the fire remains unknown,' he said. 'The family of Birkha Rawat, from whose cowshed the fire reportedly began, usually lives in the lower part of the village.'

A police team led by Inspector Subin Shah from the Sarkegad Police Post reached the site overnight and has been working to douse the flames, said DSP Shankar Pokharel.

The fire destroyed the homes of Bijn Fadera, Dhan Bahadur Rawat, Janak Rawat, Birkha Rawat, Pale Fadera, Lalkoura Fadera, Dudhashila Fadera, and Batulli Fadera. Household items, food grains, utensils, clothes, citizenship documents, land ownership certificates, other personal records, and cash were also lost in the blaze.

No human casualties have been reported so far. Police said a full assessment of the damage will be available once the fire is completely extinguished.

(With input from RSS)