Manipur: Unknown miscreants set ablaze SDO office in Churachandpur

Imphal: Unknown miscreants reportedly set ablaze the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) at Kholmun village, Tuibong, in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Monday night, official sources said on Tuesday.

The fire, which broke out at around 8:30 pm on Monday, destroyed several items inside the building, including important official documents, files, tables, chairs, almirahs, desks, benches, household materials, and several important books.

Upon receiving the information, the fire services of the Churachandpur district headquarters responded promptly, and the firefighting team immediately sprang into action with all the necessary equipment.

Fire tenders were pressed into service, an official said. The firefighting team successfully managed to save the building structure and contained the fire within the storage area.

Police said documents related to internally displaced persons (IDPs) were believed to have been destroyed in the fire.

There are around 15,000 IDPs staying in different relief camps opened in the district since the eruption of ethnic violence on May 3, 2023, which claimed 260 lives and displaced around 60,000 people.

Police also stated that witnesses who arrived at the office after seeing the fire reported seeing two unidentified individuals running from the scene. The police suspect that miscreants might have been involved in the arson.

Meanwhile, police and fire service sources said that the cause of the fire is under investigation. However, a case in connection with the incident has been registered.