Khotang, Feb. 17 -- A fire in Halesi Bazaar on Sunday evening caused damages exceeding Rs75 million, destroying houses, hotels, and businesses.

According to Acting Chief District Officer Hiradhan Rai, the blaze destroyed a three-storey wooden and corrugated sheet house owned by Padam Sher Rai. The building housed a hardware store on the ground floor and the office of Nirdhan Utthan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha on the second floor, resulting in losses of around Rs40 million.

Similarly, Airakh Rai's New Kalyan Hotel, a four-storey concrete structure and a two-storey wooden house at the back, suffered damages estimated at Rs25 million. Prakash Chandra Giri's Halesi Darshan Hotel sustained partial damage, with a one-storey iron-truss kitchen ...