JHAPA, FEBRUARY 13
Two houses were reduced to ashes after a fire broke out due to electric short circuit at Bhanutole of Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa today.
Police said houses belonging to Pasang Tamang and Narayan Timilsina were destroyed completely in the fire at 9:00am. Police said the houses could have been saved if the fire engine had arrived on time. The fire engine of Birtamode Municipality was out of function for some days and it was too late when a fire engine belonging to Mechinagar Municipality reached the incident site.
Locals brought the fire under control, but not before the fire engulfed the houses. A group of locals chanted slogans against the mayor and deputy mayor after the incident. The fire also destroyed a noodle industry in Mechinagar Municipality yesterday.
Another fire had also destroyed a slipper industry ten days ago in the same municipality.
Irate locals protested saying the authority concerned had not kept the essential service on standby. They padlocked the main entrance gate of the municipality office and obstructed vehicular movement for five hours after the incident.
The protesters cleared the road after they reached agreement that the mayor and deputy mayor will visit the incident site tomorrow.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 14, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
