37 Houses burnt by fire

Thirty-seven houses were gutted and 155 families displaced by the massive fire that ravaged headquarters Fungling of Taplejung on Monday. The fire that swept across headquarters Fungling has burnt down three government offices, half a dozen non-governmental offices, and dozens of houses and shops. It was sparked from Purweli Hotel in Fungling Bazaar and quickly spread to other buildings near it. Local resident Narendra Gurung’s house was brought down in the locals’ effort to stop the blaze. 37 houses and shops belonging to 35 house owners were gutted in the fire. The fire has displaced 155 families, as it, in no time, turned into a huge blaze by the gushing wind and due to lack of enough water to douse the flame. With the absence of a fire brigade in the district, seven houses were demolished with the help of excavators and bulldozers to control the fire. With their shelters and businesses gutted, the fire victims are now in a plight wondering about the repercussions of the dangerous mishap. The local residents of Taplejung have suffered a loss of nearly 300 million rupees due to mismanaged urbanisation and lack of a fire engine in the district.