Kinunger village was engulfed in flames in the wee hours of 3 May 2024, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Two houses, one granary, and three scooters were razed to the ground in what police suspect to be the act of unknown miscreants.
The incident began at 1:30 am when a fire broke out in two houses temporarily vacated by their occupants, as narrated by Yimlikumba, Kinunger Village Council Chairman, to Mokokchung Times. He specified that the affected houses were towards the ‘Akum and Yimpang’ side.
“While villagers attempted to extinguish the fire in Yimpang side, a nearby granary was also consumed,” he said, adding that volunteers from nearby Chungtia and Aliba villages arrived to assist, along with the fire brigade, enabling them to jointly contain the fire.
“We were puzzled as to how the fire originated, given that the house’s electricity had already been disconnected,” he remarked, ruling out the likelihood of the fire being caused by an electrical short circuit. “While we were there, around 9:40 am, the fire reignited in the church,” he continued, adding that the discovery was made when the church caretaker’s wife and daughter went to clean the church.
“We were just nearby so upon hearing the news we rushed there and were able to douse off the fire,” he said, adding, “It was when we observed that the fire was fueled by petrol, evidenced by the discovery of three bottles—all intact with petrol and one partially burnt.”
This discovery, according to Yimlikumba, prompted the villagers to begin inspecting all the village’s houses, leading to the discovery of two liters of petrol even at his father’s residence and an additional liter in another nearby house.
“The houses were all unoccupied. But from there it was evident that this was the work of man and not only one but maybe a ‘party’ of men,” Yimlikumba explained.
He further thanked the volunteers from Aliba and Chungtia, believing that with their help, they averted a major disaster in the village.
“What we are certain and clear so far is that 2 houses, 1 granary, 3 scooters and the floor of the church were burnt,” he said, adding that the village suffered a great loss.
He narrated that the police later came for investigation and took their statement after which they lodged an FIR. “Currently, we’ve deployed youths to patrol the village for added security,” added Yimlikumba.
“Given the use of petrol, we suspect the involvement of unknown miscreants,” a police official informed Mokokchung Times. However, the official acknowledged the challenges posed by the disrupted crime scene.
“Currently, there have been no breakthroughs in the investigation,” the official stated. “Moreover, we only received the report at noon, although the fire broke out in the morning. The report was unofficially relayed to us by a colleague, prompting our immediate response to the crime scene. Regrettably, upon arrival, we found the scene ‘disturbed’ when the fire brigade doused off the fire, leaving no traceable fingerprints,” the official shared.
Despite these challenges, the official confirmed the registration of the case and assured that the investigation is actively underway.
Civil society extends solidarity
Tongpangmayang, President of the Ongpangkong Students’ Conference (OKM), visited the village alongside his colleagues, affirming OKM’s solidarity with the Kinunger village council. He appealed to the administration and police authority to treat the matter with utmost seriousness, stating that OKM will stand with the council in urging for a comprehensive investigation and swift compensation for the victims.
Kinunger is a small village located about 18 kms from Mokokchung town.