Nepal: Property worth millions gutted in blaze at factory in Kathmandu

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 10 (ANI): A blaze occured at a shoe factory in Nepal's Kathmandu on Wednesday and destroyed property worth about 45 million Nepali Rupees.
Firefighters were able to take down the fire in about two hours after it started from around 11:45 (NST) sending plumes of smoke into the skies of Kathmandu, which was visible from almost all the high-lying areas of the bowl-shaped valley.
"As per our preliminary assessment, properties worth 45 million rupees have been lost in the blaze. It includes loss incurred by surrounding houses on the site of the incident," Govinda Rijal, Chief District Officer of Kathmandu, confirmed to ANI over the phone.
According to the official, the fire might have started due to a short circuit in one of the machines operational in the factory.
The factory registered with the company name "One World Shoes Factory" lies in the middle of a residential area and at a distance of about one kilometre from the Balaju Industrial Area just outside the ring road of the valley.
"I was sitting at a cafe nearby. It was around 11:45 (NST) we noticed smoke rising from the premises and then raised the alarm informing the fire tenders, police, army and other concerned authorities. A group of about 25 people rushed to take out the materials that were highly inflammable," Bhakta Joshi, one of the witnesses, told ANI.
Fire tenders from around Kathmandu Valley including the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force along with the locals were involved in the operation to put out the fire.
Raw materials and chemicals used to prepare the shoes and bags are believed to have fueled the fire which caused people living nearby to vacate their houses and run for safety. (ANI)