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| Kathmandu, Sunday December 15, 2002 Mangshir 29, 2059. |
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No casualties reported
Massive fire engulfs Biratnagar Jute Mills
By Binod Bhandary
BIRATNAGAR, Dec 14:A major fire broke out in Biratnagar Jute
Mills early on Saturday evening and blazed uncontrollably until late evening, possibly
causing millions of rupees worth damages to the country’s oldest factory.
At least four fire-fighting vehicles were
rushed to the scene but they could not keep the blaze away, reports our correspondents
from the district.
The fire apparently started at the ‘belching
department’ following a short circuit in the electric lines in the main building
inside the factory, where the materials were used for stuffing and are processed into
ready-made goods.
However, according to police, it was too
early to accurately assess the damages, as the massive blaze continued to ravage the mills
for several hours in the night. "We have not been able to control the fire still, nor
could we assess the damages this early," said superintendent of police Sharad Kumar
Khatri.
"The fire broke out from belching
department inside the factory and is still uncontrollable," said Dinesh Golchha, one
of the investors of the mills.
While the government has a share of 46 per
cent, there are eight other private businessmen who have invested the remaining portion of
the shares in the mills, which employs some 1,800 people.
The cloud of black smoke was visible from
several kilometres far. Emergency services are still fighting the blaze but no casualties
have been reported.
The factory, which had been shut for several
months, has been hired and run by Golchha Organisation since November last year.
Meanwhile, reports stated that a paper mills
factory similarly caught fire in Gaidakot, Nawalparasi this afternoon, causing damages
worth several thousands of rupees.
The fire broke out at around 12 noon on
Saturday. It destroyed about 100 trucks of straw. It is presumed that the fire broke out
after a truck’s silencer pipe burst out in flames in an accident, according to
police.
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