Fire in Birtamod destroys shops and house, losses put at Rs 6 crore

A major fire in Birtamod, Jhapa, has destroyed an electronics shop, a pharmacy and a two-storey house, causing damage estimated at about Rs 6 crore.

The fire broke out on the second floor of the concrete house belonging to Rajesh Mandal in Birtamod Municipality-4, near Siddhartha Hotel, after an electrical short circuit, police said. It spread quickly through the building, gutting the house and the shops operating there, and then reached neighbouring houses.

Police put the losses at about Rs 3 crore at Shubhalabh Electronics, including its warehouse, about Rs 1 crore at Nirika Pharmacy and its warehouse, and about Rs 2 crore to Mandal's house. The house and the shops were completely burnt, leaving the building badly damaged and much of the stock inside destroyed.

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As the flames spread, seven fire engines were sent from Birtamod, Bhadrapur, Mechinagar, Damak, Kamal, Shivasatakshi and Gauradaha. Soldiers, police officers, Armed Police Force personnel and local residents worked together for hours before the fire was brought fully under control.

District Police Office Jhapa information officer Deputy Superintendent Ranjan Awa said the fire started from a short circuit on the second floor of the house. Police are assessing the full extent of the damage caused by the blaze, which broke out in a busy commercial area of Birtamod.

The fire has left the shopkeepers and the house owner counting heavy losses, with their premises and goods destroyed in a single incident. The response by the fire services and security personnel prevented the flames from spreading further through the surrounding neighbourhood.