By Rick M 
One woman was charred to death, and many houses were fully damaged after a fire erupted in the early hours this morning in the Itahari locality. The deceased has been identified as Gopimaya Katwal, 52, who was caught inside her house at ward no. 6 of Itahari when the fire started. The local police authorities and firefighters were quick to respond to the scene, but they could not rescue Katwal from the flames, which were fast-moving.
The fire started at 3 AM, and within a short time, this side of the neighborhood saw several houses catch fire, and people were forced to flee in panic. It was said that some people who heard phenomenal loud echoes padding the flames could be gas cylinders. The reason was not ascertained, but the information received indicates it could have been initiated by an electrical short circuit.
This sphered fire, which took several hours to subdue, had multiple fire engines from Itahari’s fire department. The houses were grouped in the small radius and the streets were very narrow and this made it very hard for the firefighters to bring the fire under control. The local police and volunteers supported the efforts to rescue people and evacuate the adjoining inhabitants with what little their left them.
The event has caused concern among the people living in the affected region mainly due to fire precautions in the region. Public officials have said they will launch an independent probe into the source of the fire and a comprehensive study of measures in place to prevent similar disasters. The sub-metropolitan city’s mayor, Hemkarna Poudel, paid tribute to the site of the tragedy and said that the families of the victims can count on support from the sub-metropolitan city.
As it has been observed after the fire, one can note that the majority of them have been rendered homeless, and all their belonging are burnt to cinders. This particular fire has affected several families, and the chapter of the Red Cross has come to the rescue by putting up a temporary shelter where affected individuals are given food, water, clothes, plus counseling. People in the community have also not left the victims on their own, and several have provided the families with clothes, food, and other necessities.
It is because of this sad incident that attention has been called to the necessity of increasing safety against fire and awareness on the subject in Itahari. There are reports that the local authorities expect to hold fire drills and hand out fire-preventer devices to homes that are most at risk. That is why, after such an accident, questions have arisen concerning the more efficient organization of cities and the raising of the standards and requirements for constructing buildings and houses.
This occurred as the community continues to bury Gopimaya Katwal and as they do this, the issues of the functionality of the emergency services and availability of necessary firefighting tools in this city cannot be left without questions. There have also been voices in the community demanding the government to open up new fire departments so as to minister efficient service in the shortest time possible.
The occurrence has also highlighted the question of fire control and prevention in newly developing urban cities of Nepal. Some of the safety measures include advocating for proper drills, safety wiring inspections, and the final installation of smoke detectors in both homes and business entities. With the city continuing to grow, local leaders are calling for architects of new buildings in Itahari to incorporate elements of fire safety and current technology to apply the same to heritage structures.
While inquiries are in progress, the people of Itahari favor the sad victims of this calamity. Customs authorities and local politicians have urged people to remain united and to stand together against such bad events to avoid their repetition in the future. It is a sad reminder for all of us as a nation and as a people to concentrate our minds anew and redouble our efforts to ensure our safety in the event of fire. Hannanya’s untimely demise is a terrible tragedy which again reminds us of the dire consequences of fire.