Deurali (Gorkha), December 16:

Property worth over Rs 12 million was damaged this morning when fire engulfed the Gorakhakali Rubber Factory, the only rubber industry in the nation. An electric short-circuit triggered the fire at the final finishing room of the factory at Majuwa of Deurali village development committee in Gorkha district, at 1: 30 am.

“Property worth about Rs 12 million was damaged in the fire,” General Manager (GM) of the factory, Radheshyam Chaurasiya said, adding: “The production machine has not been damaged and production will resume by next week.”

Deputy GM, Keshav Prasad Pandey, said: “220 pieces of big and small-sizes tyres were damaged while some 1,400 other tyres have been rendered useless due to high temperature.”

He said some 2,044 pieces of tyre tubes, other raw materials and some machines were gutted in the fire.

“Locals, factory workers and police reached the site immediately when a security guard, Bhubal Pokharel, blew a ‘warning siren’ of the factory, after the fire broke out. The fire was doused later,” said chief engineer Saroj Kumar Sharma.

The detailed loss and cause of the fire will be make public after investigation, factory sources have said.

The factory has an annual capacity of producing some 80,000 tyres.