Arunachal suspends 2 officials for dereliction of duty during market fire

ITANAGAR: 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 there was no one 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 staffer in charge of the 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 under way, it 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 4am on Tuesday, they said. SP (Capital) Jimmy Chiram said the exact cause of the fire would be ascertained after completion of an investigation by the fire department.
Meanwhile, CM 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.