THREE DEAD AS FIVE NEPALIS OF A FAMILY IMMOLATE THEM SELVES IN INDIA Kathmandu, 4 April: Five members of a Nepali family set themselves on fire at the office of Rajkot Municipal Corporation, leaving three of them dead. The family feared eviction from their shanty as civic body officials were planning to raze it in a drive to remove illegal Structures, Hindusthan Times reports from Ahmedabad. . The five family members, including three women, turned up at the civic body office with kerosene-filled containers around noon on Wednesday. They poured kerosene on their body and set themselves on fire protesting the proposed demolition of their house located in Raiyadhar area of the city. Three members of the family died at Rajkot civil hospital while two others are critical and battling for their lives. "The three dead had sustained burn injuries over 90%. Other two are also severely injured and critical," a doctor from Rajkot civil hospital said. "We were being harassed by the civic body officials, society members and local politicians to vacate our house which they called illegal. They had threatened us to demolish it which prompted us to take this extreme step," family member Gauri told media persons after the incident. The incident shocked the Nepalese community in Rajkot where some angry mobs burned down a state transport bus in protest. In Saurashtra, a large number of Nepalese are settled and work as security guards. Meanwhile, the Congress party condemned the incident and blamed the RJP ruled civic body for driving people to commit self-immolation. The opposition party has also given a Rajkot-bandh call for today. Three persons who died are: Ashaben Bharatbhai, 35, Girish Mansingh, 25, and Bharat Mansingh, 40, while Vasumati Mansingh, 60, and Rekha Mahendrabnai, 32, are critical and battling for their lives in the hospital. nnnn TANAHU FIRECAUSES RS.2.5 MILLION DAMAGE Kathmandu, 4 April: As many as eight houses and five cowsheds were destroyed by fire at Kotdurbar and Ghiring Sundhara VDCs in Tanahun district Wednesday eveningm RSS reports from Tanahu.. The houses and cowsheds caught the fire after forest fire spread to the settlement. Property worth Rs. 2.5 million was gutted by fire , said police. According to the District Police Office, Tanahun, eight houses including that of Santa Bahadur Rilami, Dal Bahadur Rilami, Bal Bahadur Ramjali, Gagan Ale, Surya Bahadur Ale and Bel Bahadur Darlami of Kotdurbar VDC and houses of Jaya Bahadur Thapa, among others, of Ghiring Sundhara VDC as well as five cowsheds were completely destroyed by the fire . The fire destroyed food grains, clothes, ornaments, cash and other goods, according to Jungabir Ale, a local. The fire victims have been taking shelter at the houses of relatives and villagers, said police. R nnnn