Boroko fires

The investigative report was released this morning at the Fire Service Headquarters in Port Moresby.

Acting Chief Fire Officer, Bill Roo, together with investigating officer, Inspector Passingan Token, released the report revealing that the fires involving Papindo and Johnson’s Pharmacy buildings happened at about the same time.

However, they were unrelated to the Gutpla kaibar that went up in flames the previous afternoon (March 23).

Loop PNG caught up with the Chief for PNG Fire Service, Bill Roo today, where he revealed that investigations were completed weeks ago.

However, due to his busy schedule, Roo said he was unable to release investigative reports on the fire.

An investigating officer will also be present tomorrow to reveal facts regarding the cause of the fire.

The fire was alleged to have started again on the morn of March 24th from a fast food outlet in Boroko and was not completely brought under control.

Since the fire brought the line of shops to ashes, Boroko has been very hard to look at in the past week.

Opportunists were still rummaging through the ashes without police presence in the area.

Loop PNG visited Tabari Place and Boroko Craft Market to interview commuters this weekend and found out that since the fire, the area has become more and more unsafe.

Commuters who frequent Boroko because of their jobs, access to shopping centres and public services, like the bank and post office, said the area has become an eyesore.

This was the response from the Boroko Fire Station Commander, Superintendent Leo Ovia.

Superintendent Ovia said all fire service units in Port Moresby were called in on Thursday evening to subdue the fire and they had made sure the building was fire free before they dispersed from the scene.

He said fire service contained the fire on Thursday until the other units departed at 10pm in the night, followed by the Waigani fire trucks.