Nation»
Jhapa fire renders 800 refugees homeless
DAMAK, JAN 21 -
Around 800 Bhutanese refugees sheltered in a campsite at Beldangi-1 in Jhapa district got their roof removed off their heads in Wednesday night’s fire that destroyed 28 huts and rendered 48 others uninhabitable.
The fire victims have sought basic humanitarian aid for their survival. With no shelter and food, they are living off the food provided by their neighbours and staying in tents.
T.B. Gurung, the camp secretary, said a non-government organisation, Caritas Nepal, distributed beaten rice among the fire victims on Thursday.
The refugees also collected rice among themselves for the fire victims. Likewise, the camp’s Refugee Coordination Unit (RCU) requested a local community forest office to provide firewood. The RCU also constituted a committee to collect assistance from the government and donors.
The committee decided to keep the fire victims in local schools at night until their shelter arrangements were made.
Lekhnath Pokharel, RCU’s Deputy Director and Assistant Chief District Officer, said the preliminary study suggested that the fire destroyed property worth Rs.15 million. Pokharel added that relief and assistance work would be initiated immediately.
The fire started at around 10 p.m. Wednesday from hut no. 476 of the camp. By the time fire engines arrived, the blaze had already destroyed many huts and the locals had doused the flames.
Occupant of hut no. 476, Lamgade, had left a burning candle inside when he visited his neighbour, thus causing the fire, police said. He is in police custody for investigation.
Headlines
Advertisements
