A lamp lit in Mha Puja claimed the lives of four members of the same family

KATHMANDU: NOV. 6 – Friday is the New Year of the Newar community, i.e. Nepal Sambat 1142. The Newar community celebrates the New Year with joy on this day. On this day, the Newar community worships Mha. They worship the body. The Newar community celebrates Mha Puja with special significance.

Laxmi Krishna Tamrakar, 68, of Mangalbazar in Lalitpur was also worshiping Mha. She and her family were engaged in worship. They were worshiping on the third floor of the house by lighting a lamp on the second-floor window. But the fire from the lamp has claimed the lives of four members of the family including Laxmi Krishna.

According to Lalitpur Metropolitan Police Chief SSP Kiran Bajracharya, the fire is believed to have started at around 6:45 pm on Friday. “The fire reached the gas cylinder when the curtain caught fire,” said SSP Bajracharya. “Four members of the family died on the spot when the gas cylinder exploded.”

The deceased have been identified as Laxmi Krishna, her 35-year-old daughter Anjana, her 35-year-old daughter-in-law Ranjana and her 10-year-old grandson Nirjal. A 42-year-old son Neeraj and a 32-year-old youngest daughter Sirjana have been injured. The condition of Sirjana is critical, police said. The injured are undergoing treatment at Patan Hospital.

Another house attached to the kitchen was also damaged in the blast. Police are conducting further investigation into the incident.