A fire that broke out at Centre Plaza in Itahari on Wednesday morning was brought under control after about six hours. The blaze started at 9:30 am and required a large-scale response from security forces and firefighters.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yograj Khatiwada, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Sunsari, said that 12 fire engines from various local levels and around 300 personnel from Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, and the Nepali Army were mobilized to extinguish the fire. He stated that the size of the building made it more challenging to contain the flames.

The Ministry of Home Affairs deployed a Nepali Army helicopter from Kathmandu to assist in rescuing people trapped inside the building. A total of 11 individuals were safely rescued, including Bangladesh national MD Jay, as well as America Rai, Laxmi Shrestha, Bijay Dhami, Bishnu Tamang, Sanjay Jaiswal, Dia Raya, Bishal Singh, Ashish Chaudhary, and two others. All of them are in normal health condition, according to the police.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, and details of the damage are yet to be confirmed. -- RSS