DADELDHURA: Locals of Baghkhor in Amargadhi Municipality of Dadeldhura are in a state of alarm after three incidents of fire occurred within a week in the municipality.

According to Dadeldhura District Police Office (DPO), as many as five small and big shops, and property worth tens of millions have been gutted in the fires.

The first fire -- which destroyed property worth around Rs 10 million -- broke out in Lakshmi Grocery Store belonging to Narayan Bhatta at 9:00 pm on Sunday near Baghkhor Bus Park.

The incident was followed by another fire that broke out on Wednesday midnight in Gaurav Dhaba belonging to Jit Bahadur Tamauli at Bagarkot Road of Amargadhi Municipality-1. The fire that started around 12:00 am burnt down the restaurant to cinders.

Similarly, the third fire broke out in a house belonging to Lok Raj Joshi the following night in Bagarpata Bazaar, destroying a photo studio, a grocery store, and a local tea shop operated in the building.

According to a local, Tek Bahadur Khadka, the first fire at Lakshmi Grocery Store could have started accidentally due to an electric short circuit and spread to the house, but other two fires could have been cases of arson.

People suspect that the Thursday fire could have been set on purpose as it simultaneously started in three shops at the same time, another local Jay Bahadur Aira stated. "Somebody might have started the fire by using petrol," Aira suspects.

According to Dambar Bahadur KC, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at Dadeldhura DPO, fires on Wednesday and Thursday do look like premeditated acts.

DSP KC further added that the last fire erupted close to an area with various banks and business establishments where CCTV cameras have been installed, therefore, investigation into the case will be easier after going through the camera footage.

(Translated by: Sandeep Sen, Edited by: Priyanka Adhikari)