According to police, short circuit has been established as the major reason of the blaze.

DSP Bedh Bahadur Bista, Janasewa Police chief, said the fire broke out from the house belonging to Lakshman Man Sigh, at around 12 noon. The fire was doused two hours later.

“The worth of the property destroyed by the fire has not be ascertained yet, but since the floors destroyed were warehouses having electronic and kitchen appliances, the amount may be quite high,” Bista said.

He said Fire Bridge along with five fire engines and personnel from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army and local residents doused the inferno.

Rajesh Palanchoki, who runs a shop at Mahaboudha, said he heard a big explosion and saw a raging fire engulf the fifth and sixth floors of Shree Arcade, a business complex.

“The explosion was so big that my friend who was at Tamrakar Complex, which is a kilometre away from here, said he heard the blast. There were broken windowpanes and screens scattered all over the road. Initially smoke came out from the building, and in minutes the top of the building was in flames,” Palanchoki said.

Rajesh Shakya, who owned a warehouse on the fifth floor of the building, said his everything stored there was destroyed. “I had kitchen appliances and electronics worth more than Rs 5 million. The fire gutted them all,” he said.

Another warehouse owner, Binod Kumar Karki, said his mobile and laptop accessories worth Rs 4 million at the warehouse were completely destroyed. “My warehouse is uninsured, and I really don’t know how to get along,” he said. Though the raging fire could have caused more havoc, the promptness shown by security forces and fire engines, coupled with less traffic as it was Saturday, prevented the fire from spreading. However, the seepage caused from the water

used while dousing the fire destroyed the electronic appliances kept in the

lower floors.

The site remained tense throughout the day. Policemen were busy preventing

the onlookers from entering the building, while some people were cleaning the fire-hit floors.