A fire that had broken out in one of the shoe factories near the Balaju industrial area on Wednesday morning has been brought under control. 

According to the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Govinda Rijal, the One World shoe factory had caught fire at around 11:45 am.

“The fire is now under control with the help of the police, locals, and the fire brigade,” said Rijal. “The damage caused by the fire is estimated to be around Rs 45 million.”

Superintendent Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson of District Police Range Kathmandu, said fire trucks from Lalitpur and Bhaktapur were mobilised to fight the inferno.

According to the factory workers, the fire broke out due to an electrical short circuit in one of the machines. Raw materials and chemicals stored in the factory fuelled the fire further, they said.

Although there are houses around the factory area, the fire did not cause any damage to life or private property, police said.