A massive fire broke out at a plywood factory in Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-9, Khaira, Dang. The fire started around 2 AM today and is still not under control as of 9:15 AM.
Firefighters from Dang struggled to control the blaze, so additional fire trucks were called from Bardiya, Banke, Kapilvastu, and Rupandehi. The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, the Forest Office’s fire control team, and residents are all working to extinguish the fire, but it is still burning.
According to Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Lamsal, fire trucks from Ghorahi, Tulsipur, and Lamahi in Dang were insufficient, so more were requested from nearby districts.
“Three fire trucks from Dang, two from Banke, two from Kapilvastu, and one each from Bardiya and Rupandehi have been brought in,” Lamsal said.
He added that efforts are being made to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby houses.
The Ganpati Plywood Factory, which produces the Shangrila brand of plywood, covers about seven bighas of land. Since the factory contains large amounts of wood and raw materials, the fire is extremely intense and difficult to control.
CDO Lamsal confirmed that the factory structure has been destroyed.
“Our main concern is stopping the fire from spreading to nearby houses. All safety measures have been taken. However, the factory itself has been completely damaged. Since there is a lot of wood, it is still burning,” he said.
Inspector Kabiraj Rokaya, spokesperson for the Dang District Police Office, stated that the fire has been contained to the factory area and has not reached nearby homes.
The initial estimate suggests losses worth millions, but the exact damage will be assessed once the fire is fully extinguished.
