Bombs defused

ITAHARI: Itahari remained tense on Sunday afternoon after news of a bomb placed in a busy market area aimed at an election meeting of the Nepali Congress spread like wildfire. The gathering, scheduled to be addressed by NC leaders Pradip Giri and Minendra Rijal, was delayed by half-an-hour. A bomb disposal squad of the Nepal Army defused the bomb after two hours. Elsewhere, an unidentified gang planted a socket bomb in a house of poll candidate Mugalal Meheta at Kaptangunj. Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum’s Mehata is in the poll fray from Sunsari’s Constituency No 4. A bomb disposal team of the NA defused the bomb. — HNS

House gutted

DAMAK: Property worth Rs 50,000 was destroyed when fire broke out in the house belonging to Babu Dhimal in Damak-6 on Saturday night. The fire suddenly broke out in Dhimal’s house and destroyed the house and a hay stack, the Damak Area Police Office said. The fire was extinguished with the help of a fire engine that came from Damak, the police office added. — HNS

Kids crushed to death

KALIKOT: Two children were killed and four injured after a house they were living in, hit by heavy rain, collapsed and fell upon them on Saturday in Serabada of Pankha village development committee-1 in Kalikot district, police said. The house crushed to death Nille Malla’s 10-year-old son Keshar Malla and Ballu Malla while they were sleeping, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Mahesh Kumar Bhattarai said. Nille Malla, 44, Madan Malla, 60, Ada Malla, 15, and Uma Malla, 19, who were injured in the incident, are undergoing treatment at district hospital, Manma. — HNS

Fire destroys timber

SANKHUWASABHA: Timber worth one million rupees was destroyed in a fire that engulfed three community forests in the district on Saturday evening. Animals, including pangolins and porcupines, also died in the fire, locals said. The fire broke out at Lebrang Community Forest and Banduke Community Forest in Dhupu village development committee at 7.00 pm, a local Gopal Kalfe said, adding trees plantation in 200 hectares of land were destroyed. Fire also broke out at Ramchhe Sunakhani Community Forest in Khadbari municipality-10, but villagers controlled it after two hours averting any major destruction, locals said. Cause of the fire has not been known yet.— HNS