INARUWA: Property worth around Rs 5 million were gutted after a fire engulfed a Musahar settlement in Bhokraha Rural Municipality-6 of Sunsari district on Sunday evening.

The fire started from the house of local Kalu Rishidev and spread through the settlement in Narsingh yesterday evening, informed locals.

Food grains, clothes, utensils and cash in the 25 houses were gutted in the blaze, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Narayan Prasad Chimariya at the District Police Office, Sunsari.

A fire engine with the help of police and locals doused the fire.

Meanwhile, the ward office has provided each family of the fire victims with the relief packages comprising a sack of rice, a sack of puffed rice, cooking oil 1 litre, beaten-rice 5 kg, potatoes 5 kg, grams 2 kg including salt and vegetables, informed Ram Chandra Yadav of the ward office. However, the victims are forced to stay under the open sky.