The Goldhap camp has turned into ash one more time as a huge fire that broke-out from one of the huts gutted over 500 huts while another 150 have been dismantled to prevent further damage. The camp has 739 huts in total.
Goldhap correspondent Tilak Niraula says the displaced fire victims have been talking shelter in the camp school.
“The scene was so horrible that the whole camp turned into ash in less than two hours,” Niraula said, “Mine hut was one of the first shelters to catch the fire.”
The Camp Secretary Chiranjibi Rai said, the local authority has confirmed that the fire was first seen from a hut owned by Rabilal Timsina of Sector B-2 at 7:45 am “He has told us that there was puja in his hut before the fire leaked into his roof.”
According to Rai, six fire extinguishers took hours to bring the fire under complete control.
Representatives of the various donor agencies including the UN Refugee Agency and their associates visited the camp today.
Meanwhile, a ration store of the World Food Program also got fire while the school building has remained intact.
Chief District Officer of Jhapa, Shahi Shekar Shrestha, who reached the spot at around 9:30 am assured government support for all the refugees.
“We are preparing to deliver cash support to each burnt house,” Shrestha told Bhutan News Service, “We’ll make the supports available as soon as possible.”
The Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) Nepal, Caritas and Youth Friendly Center, among others are in the field from the very start of the fire.
Around three dozen of refugees have been wounded and are being treated by the AMDA Nepal.
