Damak, December 23:

Nine huts were gutted and eight more were damaged when a fire broke out in the Beldangi camp of Bhutanese refugees in Damak of Jhapa district on Saturday.

Two blocks of a school were also gutted in the fire that broke out in sector B-4 of Beldangi camp-1at around 10 pm, said Armed Police Force deputy superintendent Raj Kumar Lamichhane.

He said property worth Rs 13 lakh was damaged due to the fire. It took one hour for security personnel, refugees and fire fighters to control the fire, he said, adding that the fire had spread from the kitchen of one Lal Bahadur Biswokarma.

The victims are now taking shelter in their neighbours’ place.