SUNSARI: Inferno victims of Parastoki area of Duhabi-1 have been living a miserable life as they could not get relief materials properly. Sixty-two years Sairul Khatun, one of the victims, has spent three nights without food. "I am expecting that somebody will give me enough rice to eat," Khatun said. Her family was homeless after the ablaze destroyed their settlement last Friday. She said, "We do not have place to sleep and are relying on bitten rice and salt for three days.''

Talking to The Himalayan Times she said, "We lost everything in the fire and nobody is there to help us." According to her, though Red Cross Society and some other organisations have provided some relief material, it was not enough for them. She said, "We are feeding our children borrowing rice from neighbours."

About fifty houses of some thirty families were destroyed in the incident.

Another fire victim Murtuja Miya said that the government has become apathetic towards their problems. He informed that the local administration had provided Rs 500 to each victim family and the Red Cross also provided tents and some utensils on the very day of fire. Miya said, "I have 26 members in my family how can I feed them with such a meagre relief?" He also informed that they did not have clothes to wear.

Most of the victims could bee seen with teary eyes when this correspondent reached the incident site today. One of the victims Mohhamad Allaudin said, "The chief district officer had promised us to provide wood for building huts on the day of fire, however, he has not visited us since then."

He said that many organisations had promised to assist them but only few of them kept their words. "All of them took photographs of our miserable condition and took details but nobody helped us," he added.

The victims also urged donor organisations to assist them. Another victim Mohhamad Islam said,'' Please help us for god's sake, help our children.''

Property worth Rs. 15 million was destroyed in the inferno.