EIGHT shops including two pharmacies were burnt to ashes in the the Eastern Highlands capital of Goroka in the early hours of Saturday.
Plice and fire workers are working around the clock to establish the cause of the fire. The fire reportedly started in one of the shops at about 2am and engulfed the entire building in two hour as security guards, settlers and policemen watched helplessly. Retail outlets and shops consumed by the raging flames were: Chemica Agricultural Suppliers, BMK Restaurant, an Asian textile shop, City Pharmacy, Highlands Pharmacy, a locally-owned restaurant, a secondhand cloths shop and a stationery store. Mr Kale said the firefighters were unable to distinguis the flames due to "technical and logistical problems." He said one of the two fire engines in Goroka was grounded three years ago due to mechanical problem and the other truck does not have the capacity to effectively stop the fire. "Since the Goroka Urban Authority turned off the taps at the Komiyufa Water Treatment Plant every night the fire truck had to travel to the nearby Zokizoki River to collect water and this has hampered their (firemen's) efforts to put off the blaze." Repeated attempts to contact Goroka's acting town mayor Robin Nick for comments were in vain. Eyewitnesses said as the building was on fire opportunists sprang from the nearby settlements and made off with what their hands can lay on. Sheets of roofing iron, stock feed, electrical/gardening tools, shoes, clothes were salvaged by the opportunists and sold for less cash on the streets at first light. Provincial police commander John Kale told reporters that the cause of the fire was "not yet know at this stage and its also too early to rule out the possibility of arson". On Saturday all Asian-owned marchandise shops in town ceased to open for business in fear of possible looting by opportunists and in light of the fire incident. Goroka-based private valuer Ata Ninkama Mai has roughly estimated that about K15 million worth of buildings, equipment and stock were destroyed mostly by the fire while a small fraction were looted by opportunists. Former town mayor Koni Sari said it was the first time in the history of Goroka that a fire of such magnitude has struck the township. Mr Sari has called on both Eastern Highlands Provincial government and relevant government authorities to investigate the cause of the blaze that changed the physical image of Goroka. He also called on the O'Neill/Dion government to acquire new fire engines (trucks) for the Goroka fire station without further delay. Attempts to contact Goroka Chamber of Commerce chairman Michael Gotaha were also unsuccessful. Comments are closed.
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