Fifty five families have been displaced after a fire engulfed their houses and cattle sheds in Syaulibang VDC in Pyuthan district on Friday afternoon. Half a dozen houses were burnt down in Lalpatti VDC-8 of Saptari district on Saturday morning, causing damages worth Rs 700,000. Likewise, fire gutted a house in Mirkot-5 of Gorkha, damaging property worth Rs 1 million, including Rs 500,000 cash, on Friday night.
The fire that broke out from the house of Bhakta Bir Gharti in Syaulibang-5 extended to other houses in Ward No 5, 6 and 7. The fire also burnt a water supply pipeline, cutting off drinking water supply to the villagers. No human casualty was reported.
District Police Office, Pyuthan, sent a team to the village on Saturday morning to assess the damage. The police said it would take time to assess the details as Syaulibang is 10 hours walk from the district headquarters, Khalanga.
The area has also been cut off from telephone connection and it was thus difficult for the officials to keep a track of the situation there. Locals informed that at least 500 persons have been affected after everything in their houses was destroyed in the fire. A good many cattle were also killed.
"They have no food and clothes, and spent the chilly night under the open sky," said Kirtiman Pun, a local. He estimates that the damage could go be well beyond Rs 10 million.
A team from District Disaster Rescue Committee set out for Syaulibang on Saturday afternoon for immediate relief to the affected is yet to reach the village.
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