Kathmandu, March 21

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to all local levels, requesting them to adopt safety and precautionary measures against fire disasters.

The dry season mainly from March to May is more vulnerable to fires. “Since wind-storms stimulate fires during the dry season, local levels are requested to take extra precautions against the disasters,” Environment and Disaster Management Section of the MoFAGA said in the circular issued today.

It urged the local governments to create public awareness about the chances of fire due to wind-storms, put fire brigades on standby, arrange fire-fighters for their immediate mobilisation at the time of disaster and maintain coordination among local disaster management committee, ward disaster management committee, communities, volunteers, civil society, private sector and the general public.

According to National Emergency Operation Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs, as many as 293 cases of fire have been reported in the past one month, killing six persons and injuring 30 others across the country The NECO warned that there was always an increased risk of fire outbreaks during the dry season and urged people to be more careful to prevent such incidents.

A total of 87 persons were killed and 342 injured in 2,478 incidents of fire across the country in 2018. Similarly, the fires destroyed and damaged 1,857 and 291 houses respectively. The damage caused by fires stood around 3.96 billion last fiscal. Short-circuit, overheating of electronic equipment, fluctuating voltage and electric spark, poor handling of burning lamps and cooking gas leakage are the prime causes of fire outbreaks.

On an average, Metropolitan Police Office or Juddha Barun Yantra gets two calls a day to respond to fire incidents in Kathmandu Valley.