Fire destroys seven houses in Rautahat

KATHMANDU: A massive fire broke out in Paswan Tole of Rajdevi Municipality-5, Rautahat, last night, completely destroying seven houses.

The fire, which originated from a smudge fire used to repel mosquitoes, quickly spread to neighboring homes.

The incident started when the thatched house of Jagatnath Paswan in Patahi caught fire from the nearby smudge fire.

The flames engulfed the homes of seven families, including those of Babulal Hazra, Ramnath Paswan, Ram Sogarath Paswan, Dipendra Paswan, Bijay Paswan, Kantidevi Paswan, and Pradeep Paswan.

Chief District Officer Hiralal Regmi reported that the initial estimate of the damage caused by the fire exceeds Rs 800,000.

The blaze was brought under control by a coordinated effort involving a team of 10 personnel led by sub-inspector Madan Kumar Sah of the Armed Police Force, a team of five officers led by assistant sub-inspector Ramlagan Das from Police Post Basantapur, the fire brigade from Gaur Municipality, and assistance from local residents.

Efforts are underway to provide relief to the affected families and assess further losses.