By Netra Shahi, Jumla, Jan. 27: As many as 30 houses at the remote village of Guthi in Tila Rural Municipality-7 in Jumla district have been completely burned.

Madhav Prasad Kafle, chief and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the district police office, informed that over 70 cattle- 17 cows, 23 bulls, 30 goats, and sheep, were also killed in the inferno that consumed 33 houses in the settlement of 55 households.

He said the personnel of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force had reached the incident site and the details of the loss were awaited.

 The fire in the remote village that lies some 42 km away from the district headquarters had started at 7 pm last evening.

The locals said that the security forces could not reach the village in time to douse the fire and the village was burned to ashes despite utmost efforts from the locals to put it off by fetching water from the only running tap of drinking water in the village.

Dhan Bahadur Rokaya, a local, said food grains stored in this season, were also destroyed by the fire that is suspected to have started after straw kept on the roof caught fire from the pipe of an improved woven.

Preparations are underway in the district for relief and rehabilitation of the fire victims. The district administration said that discussion over the issues was held in the meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief District Officer Bhupendra Thapa.