Arunachal Pradesh Government suspended two officials over fire in daily market

The Arunachal Pradesh Government has suspended two officials for alleged dereliction of duty during a fire incident that ravaged 700 shops in a market near here

OUR CORRESPONDENTITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Government has suspended two officials for alleged dereliction of duty during a fire incident that ravaged 700 shops in a market near here, an official statement said on Wednesday. The fire broke out at the Naharlagun daily market on Tuesday morning, and shopkeepers claimed that they rushed to an adjacent fire station after spotting the blaze but no personnel was present there. They also alleged that the fire brigade personnel arrived at the spot with fire tenders that were not filled with adequate water. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the officer in-charge and the staff in charge of night duty of the Naharlagun fire station failed to discharge their duties effectively, according to a statement issued by the Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services. The suspension order for the two fire services personnel was issued and a fact-finding exercise is underway, the statement said. The market, the oldest in the State, is situated near the fire station and Naharlagun Police Station, around 14 km from Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar. There was no casualty in the fire that was first spotted around 4 am on Tuesday, they said. Superintendent of Police (Capital) Jimmy Chiram said the exact cause of the fire would be ascertained after completion of an investigation by the fire department. Four fire tenders from Naharlagun and Itanagar along with adequate personnel were engaged in the operation, the official said. Firefighters had faced difficulties due to lack of water-filling facilities at Naharlagun, and the fire tenders were refilled from Lekhi Iron factory, situated around five kilometres from the incident site, according to the statement. "The State Government has approved two borewells for the fire station and work is likely to start soon," it said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured shopkeepers that all possible support from the State Government would be extended to those who suffered losses due to the fire at the market. A CORRESPONDENT ADDS FROM ITANAGAR: Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) Mayor Tamme Phassang, along with corporators, the IMC Commissioner and other officials visited the Naharlagun daily market fire site and also interacted with the victims. The Mayor informed that details of the unfortunate incident have been apprised to the top official, and even the Chief Minister himself has expressed concern about the incident. The purpose of today's visit was to take stock of the situation and to get first-hand information from the victim themselves so that every victim would get an equal platform to express grievances. Phassang also assured us to extend all possible help to the victims. "We are also holding meetings related to the unfortunate incident so that immediate help would be provided to the victims," he said. Also Read:  Around 700 shops gutted as fire ravages Arunachal Pradesh's oldest market Also Watch:

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