Sindhulimadhi, April 9

Dor Bahadur Bayalkoti of Bubaneshwori VDC, Sindhuli, and his family have been living under the open sky since yesterday after the wildfire that spread to human settlement gutted his house.

“It is uncertain how long we will have to stay under the open sky as the wildfire has yet to be brought under control,” he said. Bayalkoti along with his wife and two kids have been living under the open sky since yesterday. He informed that not all fire victim families had received the tents offered by Red Cross Society, Sindhuli after the incident. “The uncontrolled inferno might have destroyed the tents,” he said.

Besides Bayalkoti, around 40 families in ward no 1, 7 and 9 of the VDC have been spending nights under the open sky for the last two days. “We have not been able to sleep due to the fear of the raging wildfire,” said Buddhi Raj Karki, another fire victim. He wondered how he would be able to rebuild his house and run the family as his house and property were gutted in the wildfire.

Another fire victim Kumar Bayalkoti said even the water pipes had burnt down. He added that the victims were suffering from acute shortage of drinking water due to the same. “The uncontrolled fire coupled with rising mercury leaves us thirsty,” he added.

The wildfire had spread from Tangre National Forest on Friday morning. Raging wind had caused the wildfire to immediately spread to human settlements. The fire gutted two buildings belonging to local Kalika Primary School while dozens of cattle died in the incident.

Security personnel deployed at the incident site said they were yet to bring the wildfire under control as of today evening. A joint team of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army, along with the locals, have been making efforts to bring the wildfire under control since yesterday.

Inspector Sarbashree Bahadur Singh, of Area Police Office, Khurkot, said the wildfire had gradually moved towards the community forest of Baseri, Bhadaure and Okhle at ward number 6 and 8, respectively of the VDC. He said it would take two days to assess the total damage caused by the fire.

Meanwhile, various political parties, Nepal Red Cross Society and the district residents have been collecting relief for the fire victims at  the initiative of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sindhuli.

Binesh Shrestha, chairman of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sindhuli, said they had started collecting relief after the District Administration Office, Sindhuli made them such a request.

“A team was deployed to the VDC with relief materials to offer to the victims,” he informed. He said the relief collection would continue tomorrow as well.

Village reduced to ashes

SUNSARI: The fire that broke out at Bokraha VDC of Sunsari reduced an entire village to ashes on Saturday noon. The blaze that started from the house of local Fumulla Mansur engulfed 45 houses. SP Poshraj Pokhrel said strong winds had caused the fire to spread. Security personnel from Nepali Army, APF and NP along with fire fighters from Dharan, Itahari and Biratnagar had doused the fire. “The fire might have damaged property worth millions, but the exact details of the damage has yet to come,” SP Pokhrel said. The fire victims have been left to fend for themselves after the inferno gutted their houses. The victims bemoaned that they had nothing left. The DAO, Sunsari informed that efforts were under way to provide food to the victims as immediate relief.