Angoram police station razed

By GABRIEL FITO
THE Angoram district police station in East Sepik province was reduced to ashes in a fire early yesterday morning.
The fire, which started at about 4am, spread quickly and completely engulfed the building by 5am despite efforts by two auxiliary policemen to save the building.
Provincial police commander Vincent Pokas could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Eyewitnesses said everything inside the building was burnt.
As of yesterday, police were yet to establish the cause of the fire.
But it is believed to be the work of arsonists because the station’s generator was shut down at midnight on Wednesday and power was only restored at 6am yesterday.
The medium-sized double-storey colonial building was renovated when Wewak town police station commander Snr Insp Charles Parinjo was station commander there two years ago.
Angoram Cooperative Society chairman Raphael Maimba has called for increased police manpower at Angoram to ensure the coming general election was safe and trouble free in the electorate.
He said the burning down of the police station showed election-related violence would rise and additional manpower was needed to control law and order during the poll period.
Angoram MP Arthur Somare said he was appalled by the destruction of the station.
However he said it would be rebuilt as soon as possible.
An investigation would immediately begin to establish the cause of the fire, he added.