Nov 02, Kathmandu- Property worth Rs 30 crore was destroyed in the fire that broke out in the Barathawa market of Sarlahi district on Friday night.

A fire broke out in various shops run in the house of a local Kishan Das, due to which dozens of shops were heavily damaged.

At the incident site located in Barhathwa Municipality-7, the Rajveer Wholesale grocery shop operated by Naresh Shah, Vijay Das' potato store and Saroj Raut Kurmi's sewing shop were extensively damaged, police said.

Especially in Sah's grocery store, due to the Dashain-Tihar festival, many items were stored there, so the preliminary information has been received that there is more damage. According to DSP Gautam Thapa of the local police office, Barhathwa, it is estimated that the fire caused a loss of Rs 3 crore.

The fire started around 11:30 pm, which took more than two hours to bring under control. With the help of local residents, security personnel and the fire department of Hariwan municipality, the fire could be brought under control only around 2 am. Despite the timely efforts of the locals and the police, it was difficult to stop the damage due to the intense fire.

The cause of the fire has not yet been revealed. According to the locals, it is believed that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short, but the police said that further investigation is underway.