HALESI: A massive fire that broke out in Halesi Bazaar, a significant tri-religious site, was extinguished after nearly four hours on Sunday evening.
The blaze erupted around 6 pm in the kitchen of Padam Rai in Mahadevsthan, Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-7, reportedly due to a gas cylinder leak.
It spread rapidly, damaging multiple properties before being brought under control around 11 pm through the joint efforts of locals and security personnel.
The fire completely destroyed two houses, partially damaged another, and burnt down a hardware shop, a gas store, and the office of Nirdhan Utthan Microfinance. The affected homes belonged to Padam Rai, Airaj Rai, and Prakash Chandra Giri.
Though no casualties were reported, Police Inspector Hemant Rai of the Halesi Area Police Office estimated the damage to exceed Rs 10 million. He stated that firefighting efforts were hampered by water shortages in the drought-hit area and the absence of fire engines.
Security forces from across the district were deployed to douse the flames. Locals expressed concerns over the lack of emergency response infrastructure, which they believe worsened the extent of the damage.
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