172 houses gutted in Mahottari, other districts:

Biratnagar, March 29:

Two girls were killed in a fire in Morang district’s Siswani Jahada VDC this afternoon.

The girls have been identified as granddaughters of one Ramji Hastun, Sabita and Nirmala Hastun, both four-year-old, the District Police Office, Morang, said. Those two were sleeping when when the fire broke out. Seven-year-old Sabita Hastun was injured in the fire. She is undergoing treatment in the Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar. Three houses were gutted and property worth over Rs 1 lakh was damaged in the fire, police said.

Meanwhile, over 100 houses were gutted when a vicious fire broke out at Madhawatole, Bathnaha-7, of Mahottari this afternoon. The fire that started at around 11:00 am could not be put out till 5:00 pm.

Property worth over Rs 5 million were damaged in the inferno. The details of damages are as yet to be assessed.

The fire gutted the houses of Yadav, Shah, Jha and Kurmi families. There was such a huge loss of property due to the delay in arrival of the fire brigade from Jaleshwor Municipality, Sunil Jha, a fire victim,said.

Similarly, three houses were gutted in a fire at Dhanusha district’s Sabaila-2 this evening. Property worth Rs 1 lakh were reportedly damaged. The locals had managed to bring the fire under control themselves.

At least 69 houses were gutted when fire broke out in different places of Siraha and Saptari during the last 24 hours.

Thirty-one houses belonging to 13 families were gutted at Siraha municipality-9 this afternoon. Property worth Rs 7 lakh was damaged in the fire, according to the Nepal Red Cross Society, Siraha branch.

Eight houses of five families were gutted at Sinorwa Bachwari VDC-6 of the district yesterday. Property worth of Rs 4 lakhs was damaged in the fire. The fire also gutted Rs 120,000 cash, including Rs 80,000 of Kisun Kamati. Similarly, 15 houses of eight Musahar families were gutted when fire broke out at a settlement at Mahadewa of Rampur Birta VDC-2 of the district yesterday.

The Nepal Red Cross Society provided relief material like kitchen utensils, tents and clothes to the fire victims. Local social worker Bhagirath Agarwal provided foodstuffs and medicines to the victims.

Meanwhile, fire engulfed 15 houses at Koiladi Madhepura VDC of Saptari today. Property worth over Rs Rs 1.5 million has been estimated to have been damaged in the fire. Houses of Kamal Mandal, Sitaram Mandal, Radhakanta Sutihar, Hirendra Mandal, Bindeshwor Thakur, Sukhi Thakur and Shiva Shankar Mandal were gutted when fire broke out from the house of Ganga Ram Mandal.