Four injured as gas leak sparks fires in two homes

JHAPA: Four individuals were injured while trying to contain a fire that broke out at a residence in Haldibari Rural Municipality–4 on Tuesday.

According to Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson for the Jhapa District Police Office, the fire started in the kitchen on the upper floor of a two-storey house belonging to local resident Punyaprasad Oli. The blaze was triggered by an LPG gas leak while cooking roti.

The injured have been identified as 60-year-old Punyaprasad Oli, his 33-year-old elder son Santosh Oli, 32-year-old daughter-in-law Anita Oli, and 20-year-old younger son Aryan Oli. All four sustained burn injuries to various parts of their bodies while attempting to douse the flames.

They were initially taken to Om Sai Pathibhara Hospital in Bhadrapur for treatment. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were later referred to Biratnagar for further medical care.

The fire broke out around 8:45 AM and caused partial damage to the kitchen, police confirmed. A police team from the Kanchanshree-based temporary police post was deployed to bring the fire under control.

In a separate incident on Monday, a gas leak caused a fire in the kitchen of Ratanlal Rajbanshi’s house in Baniyani, located in Kachankawal Rural Municipality–6.

Police reported that while no human or livestock casualties occurred in the second incident, property damage included one refrigerator, one water pump, a zinc roof, and a stove. The fire was brought under control by a police team from Baniyani with assistance from local residents.