A heavy fire engulfed Pipalla Bazaar in the district headquarters Dipayal on Sunday. The fire that started at 1:15 pm today has been doused with the joint effort of police, businessperson and local people by 3pm.

The inferno that started from JV Oil Store in Pipalla Bazaar caught four shops destroying them completely. The fire intensified after oil drums exploded due to the heat consuming nearby businesses.

The fire also gutted the house of Nepali Congress lawmaker Kalpana Sob in which a jewelry shop was located. Two motorcycles were also reduced to ashes.

The preliminary investigation of police suggests that the blaze has destroyed properties worth over Rs 10 million.

The real cause behind the inferno has not been ascertained yet.

Locals complained that the authorities were ill-prepared for such catastrophe as the Dipayal municipality’s fire engine had not been earlier repaired and other fire engines had to be called from Dadeldhura and regional police office.