Rajbiraj, April 18:

Altogether 50 houses were gutted in a fire in Bhangatha VDC of Saptari district today. A preliminary estimate has put the damage at Rs 150 million.

The fire started after a 11,000-volt electric cable fell on the thatched roof of Uma Chaudhary’s

house at ward no. 5. The houses of Ram Prasad BK, Kameshwor Bhagat, Chandeshwor Bhagat, Sunair Chaudhary, Nemchan Chaudhary, Anaya Chaudhary, Paltu Chaudhary, Ishwor Chaudhary, Hari Chaudhary, Teju Chaudhary, Kisan Chaudhary and others were devastated in the fire. Devkant Chaudhary’s six-year-old son Bijay and Upendra Chaudhary’s eight-year-old son Arjun sustained burns.

Meanwhile, the Rajbiraj fire brigade office said that 11 houses were gutted in a fire in wards 2 and 3 of Madhwapur in Saptari today.