In a devastating fire late Tuesday night, approximately 30 houses belonging to 13 families were reduced to ashes in Ward No. 14 of Bairiya Chaudhary village, under Kochgama Panchayat in Basantpur block of Supaul district. Ganesh Paswan (30) sustained serious burn injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital. The inferno consumed all their belongings, including grains, clothes, cash, goats, and household items. Initial estimates suggest a loss of over 40 lakh rupees, leaving the affected families facing severe housing and food crises.

According to villagers, the fire spread so rapidly that residents had no time to salvage their belongings. While a short circuit is suspected to be the cause, official confirmation is pending. Many families lost their livelihoods, including one family whose sewing equipment, vital for their income, was destroyed. Affected women reported that 50,000 rupees borrowed from a private finance company for work, kept at home, also perished in the flames.

The Veerpur fire department was alerted, but the absence of a bridge over the Thalha Dhar forced the fire engine to travel an additional 22 kilometers to reach the site. Villagers allege that the delay in the fire engine's arrival made it difficult to control the blaze promptly, by which time many homes were already engulfed. Residents collaboratively managed to extinguish the fire after considerable effort. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the limited water capacity of the fire engine.

Villagers highlighted that no bridge has been constructed over the Thalha Dhar since independence, effectively dividing Kochgama Panchayat into two. Locals use a makeshift bamboo bridge for crossing. The lack of a proper bridge also hinders emergency services from reaching the village efficiently. Residents have demanded the swift construction of a bridge over the Thalha Dhar. Basantpur Circle Officer Brajesh Kumar Singh visited the site and assured affected families of immediate provision of plastic sheets and compensation as per government norms.