Kathmandu. Mayor Balen Sah today clarified why the fire engine at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) was not used when fire broke out in Singha Durbar, Parliament Building and Supreme Court during the agitation. He gave a video of the fire being extinguished by the fire engine.

He has given a clarification on Facebook about where he was on September 23 and 24.

He wrote on Facebook:

“Where did the fire brigade of Kathmandu Metropolitan City go when Singha Durbar burned?” “Did you watch the burn for three days?”

“Balen Shah is the one who burnt down Singha Durbar!” Such questions and accusations have been raised for the past few days.

Although it is not necessary to explain such questions and allegations, every citizen has the right to receive information. Anyone who needs it can get information from the metropolis on the basis of the right to information. However, I am writing this to address those who are spreading false accusations that are not happening.

Many people may have forgotten the day of September 24. By 8 p.m. that day, the country was in disarray, in a way, the “state” was at a standstill. There was no government in the country that day, but the local government, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, did not back down from its responsibility. From Singha Durbar to business establishments, private houses to public property, everywhere was on fire. There was no government, no security mechanism, no police could protect their posts, and the entire structure collapsed in such a chaotic situation. Forget about the movement of vehicles, even people were not able to walk. However, our team was busy day and night in extinguishing the fire, treating the injured, food for the sick, logistics management, health care management, blood management, medicine management, corpses management, data collection of burnt structures, management of burnt vehicles, waste management and coordination with various stakeholders. I would like to express my respect to all those who are working in the field, risking their lives.

} Immediately after the burning in Singha Durbar, the fire brigade could not reach due to obstruction by the agitators. The Nepal Army’s fire brigade was inside Singha Durbar but could not make any effort to douse it. The reason was that the fire brigade was not allowed to work. As soon as the crowd subsided, the fire brigade of Kathmandu Metropolitan City reached the spot at 8:15 pm on the 24th.

We do not run away from any accusation, much less responsibility.

A total of TAG_OPEN_em_39 5 fire engines are in operation, including 2 in New Road, 2 in Balaju and 1 in Ramhiti. A total of 44 people, including 14 city police and 30 armed police, work in three shifts. A maximum of 3 people have been mobilized in 1 shift for a fire engine. Not only Singha Durbar, not only Kathmandu, but the whole country was burning in some places on the 23rd and on the 24th. It is our belief that we should feel the main responsibility to protect any structure within the metropolis.

On 5/23, from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm, New Road and Ramhiti fire engines were extinguishing the fire in front of the Parliament House, while another fire engine of New Road was extinguishing the fire in Sundhara and Shantinagar electric poles.TAG_OPEN_em_38

None of the fire engines had been in operation since the morning of the 24th.TAG_OPEN_em_37 The fire was extinguished by the fire engines from 8:00 pm to 1:00 pm at Bishal Bazaar, Janasewa Police Circle, Himalayan Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank Baneshwor. The fire was extinguished from 8:15 pm to 9:45 pm on the 24th, from 1:45 am to 3:00 pm on the 24th, from 3:30 pm to 6:50 pm on the 26th and from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm the same day. The fire was extinguished from 12:20 pm to 1:30 pm on the 25th at the Parliament House, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the office of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Dilli Bazar Prison, from 9:25 am to 10:15 am on the 26th, from 8:00 am to 9:15 am on the 27th, and from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Supreme Court premises on the same day. Similarly, from 23rd to 28th, our fire engines have been set up at Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, Babarmahal District Court, Chuchche Pati Bhatbhateni, District Administration Office, Transport Management Department, Urban Development Department, Godown near Grande Hospital, Thapathali Data Center, N Cell Data Centre, Balaju Police Circle, Swayambhu Police Circle, Naxal Hilton Hotel, District Administration Office, Transport Management Department, Urban Development Department, Thapathali Data Center, Balaju Police Circle, Swayambhu Police Circle, Naxal Hilton Hotel, Our fire brigade has reached Naxal Bhatbhateni, Kuleshwor Ghar, Chaksibari Ghar, Baluwatar Bhat Bhateni Warehouse, Ranipokhari Police, Koteshwar Bhatbhateni, Quality Department, Bhatbhateni, Furniture behind Naxal Temple, Road Department, among other places. Here are the details. Rescue operations were carried out from Hilton Hotel, Banbasa Hotel and other places with the help of the army.

Now let’s talk about the management of health workers, the treatment of the injured and the management of the bodies of the martyrs, coordination for free treatment to all the hospitals in the metropolis before the announcement by the federal government, the management of necessary medicines for the hospital, the management of inadequate health workers, blood management, free lunch for the patients and sick families, other necessary logistics, mats for sleeping and other necessary materials,TAG_OPEN_em_36 The city police, health workers and other teams were working day and night. Our team was made up of the guardians of all the patients who did not have a guardian for treatment, so much so that even the information consent form during the operation was signed by our municipal police. The metropolis had also made arrangements for the transportation and food of the family for the management of the dead body, so much so that we had made arrangements to transport the dead body to the house in collaboration with the Nepal Army and others.

Finally,

Dear parents, brothers, sisters, it is natural for fear, confusion and questions to arise in your mind. But beware of analysts and rumors who draw conclusions without analyzing data and facts. Such actions keep the public in fear and confusion, and demoralize our team who work day and night. A special request to friends of the media; Please write the news only after finding the true facts. Don’t spread rumors. People have the right to get the right information.

We, the team of the metropolis, were working day and night, risking our lives, I don’t want any credit for it, at least look at those who are involved in extinguishing fires, treating the injured, providing food and medicine to the sick, managing dead bodies, helping in rescue work.TAG_OPEN_em_33 We will always work for people’s trust, our responsibility and emergency management.

Let’s understand the truth, not to spread rumors, let’s all work together to build a safe, aware and humane society.TAG_OPEN_em_32

In the end, the country needs unity and truth, not rumors and lies.