20130830 Nepal Property worth millions gutted in Jyoti Bhawan fire
Nepal Aug 30 2013 “Building” “Houses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Property worth millions gutted in Jyoti Bhawan fire
Updated: 2013-08-30-21:32
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: A massive fire engulfed the four-storey building of Jyoti Bhawan in Kantipath today. Property worth millions was destroyed in the fire.
According to police, electric short-circuit caused by an inverter used in the utility room of the bank in the first floor triggered the blaze at around 8:05 am after power outage in the area as per the load-shedding schedule. The building houses showrooms of Hero Honda motorbikes and generators, branch office of Nepal Bank Limited, Grande City Clinic And Diagnostic Services Pvt Ltd and Oriental Insurance Co Ltd.
Firefighters’ team comprising the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Juddha Barun Yantra backed by five fire brigades promptly responded to the situation and contained the inferno within an hour.
Four nurses were busy working in the clinic while other offices and showrooms were yet to be opened for the day’s business when the fire broke out. Rescuers used emergency ladders from outside to rescue the nurses trapped inside the building. No injury was reported in the incident.
Security personnel evacuated motorcycles, generators, helmets, furniture and other accessories from the Hero Honda showroom on the ground floor owned by the Jyoti Group, the owner of the building. Ashwin Pudasaini, liaison officer at the bank, said furniture, carpets, computers and other accessories were reduced to ashes. “However, lockers, cash, gold, silver and ledgers relating to customers are safe,” he added.
The firefighter’s team doused the blaze before it could spread to other floors and adjoining commercial buildings. Kantipath and Jamal areas looked like a battlefield as more than 400 security personnel with rescue kits struggled to fight the inferno in the rush hour.
Traffic came to a grinding halt after police restricted the vehicular movement in Kantipath for around two hours. Police said they were assessing the property damage.
Websource:The Himalayan Times
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