Nepal

The Biratnagar Metropolitan City has ordered all the hotels and restaurants in the metropolis to compulsorily install fire extinguishers.

The Metropolis' order comes as it steps up implementation of its decisions.

In this connection, the metropolis also held a consultation with the hotel and restaurant operators.

A month ago, a fire had broken out at the Nanglo Restaurant adjacent to local Tinpaini, gutting goods and property worth millions as the hotel lacked fire extinguishers.

The fire could have been brought under control and prevented from spreading further had there been fire extinguishers on hand, police said.

The hoteliers participating in the meeting expressed their readiness to implement every decision of the metropolis for making the city safe and better managed, said Rajan Shrestha, the president of Hotel Association Nepal in Province 1.

"The metropolis has made a welcome decision. This is for our own safety. We will install fire extinguishers as soon as possible as per the standard and capacity of the hotels," he said.

It is found that even the big hotels in Biratnagar have not installed fire extinguishers. Mayor Nagesh Koirala and Deputy Mayor Shilpa Nirala Karki were among the metropolis officials present in the consultations. - RSS