RAUTAHAT: An excavator has been set on fire by a group of unidentified persons at a bridge construction site in Gaidatar, Chandrapur Municipality-3 of Rautahat district on Saturday night.

After taking a site security guard under control, the group of 5 masked persons had torched the excavator, which was brought there for the undergoing bridge construction over Chadi Khola to connect Chandrapur and Gaidatar of the district.

A team of police was immidiately deployed to the incident site. However, the fire had already destroyed the heavy construction equipment before it could be contained, according to the Chandrapur Area Police Office.

Police have begun investigation into the case, said SP Yagya Binod Pokharel at the Chandrapur APO, adding that those involved in the incident would soon be arrested.

Locals have speculated that the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist cadres are behind the arson attack, as the bridge construction team had refused to give donations to the party.