MARGAO: Three days after fire engulfed Margao Municipal New Market, none of the authorities are able to conclusively state the exact cause behind the raging fire that gutted five shops and destroyed property worth lakhs of rupees.
On the contrary, the authorities seemed involved in passing the buck to find out the causes behind the fire. Moments after the fire incident, the Margao fire station dispatched two letters, one to the electricity department and the other to the Margao police to get back stating the cause behind the fire.
The fire station specifically asked the Margao police to find out whether there was any suspected arson or sabotage behind the fire incident. Sources now say the Margao police have written back to the fire station seeking to know the cause behind the incident, even as nothing has been heard from the electricity department till date.
With the authorities unable to find out the exact cause behind the fire incident, which is suspected to have originated in the cloth house owned by Syed Ghani, traders wonder whether the authorities are just groping in the dark. When contacted, Margao Fire officer Gill de Souza said his office is still awaiting reports from the electricity department and the police to verify the exact cause. “Only the power department can state whether the fire was due to suspected short circuit or otherwise police are in a better position to take a call on the sabotage angle.
