Fire engulfs stadium and houses; Army personnel take control

Saptari–The only stadium based in Rajbiraj-6, Saptari caught a fire all of a sudden. In no time, the inferno started raging the adjacent houses one after another. People started running away from their place to safer areas. Four locals who reached the site to douse the fire were injured.

Later a fire engine came from Rajbiraj municipality to take the fire under control and the army personnel from Bhimdal Battalion Rescue Unit based in Rajbiraj also turned up instantly to rescue the fire survivors. The medical team of the Nepal Army rendered first aid service to the fire injured and sent critically injured to Rajbiraj-based Gajendra Narayan Hospital for further treatment through ambulance.

This however was not a true incident but a rehearsal performed to focus on preparedness to respond to the disaster. The trained participants had performed the rescue operation art in the stadium on the final day of the training. Nepal Army hosted the training in coordination with Rajbiraj municipality in order to put preparedness measures to reduce potential loss incurred during the disaster.

The mock exercise was done to develop know-how to prevent the loss of lives and properties in the natural calamities, said battalion commander Gupta Bahadur Kunwar.

The art was performed how to carry out relief and rescue operations in the time of fire.

Nepal Army has been doing such mock practice on disaster management since 2011.

During the practice, the participants were provided knowledge and skills on preventing fire, rescuing and providing care to the injured and arranging foods to the survivors.