Khotang, Feb 17: Properties worth over Rs 70.3 million were lost in a fire caused by a cooking gas cylinder leak in Khotang’s Halesi, a renowned religious site.
The fire, which started in the kitchen of Padam Shumsher Rai’s home in Mahadevsthan of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-7 last night, later destroyed four houses, three hotels, one hardware shop, and a microfinance office, according to Acting Chief District Officer Hiradhan Rai.
While no human casualties were reported, the property loss was significant, said Halesi Tuwachung Municipality’s spokesperson, Kamal Giri. He said that support had been received from various quarters to help extinguish the fire.
“Now, we are coordinating with different agencies to ensure compensation for the survivors, and we have decided to implement a one-door policy for distributing the aid,” he added.
Around 500 people, including security forces, contributed to extinguishing the blaze, which began around 7:00 pm and was controlled after four hours.
According to Chief Police Inspector of Halesi Police Office, Hemant Rai, Halesi is naturally a dry area with water shortages, making it challenging to control fires. He said the local government lacks fire-fighting resources, which contributed to the significant property losses in the recent fire.
