Meghalaya church burns down, couple dies due to smoke inhalation

According to police, an old couple was killed after a more than a century-old church was gutted in a fire early on Sunday in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong. The fire at the Church of God, which was set up in 1902 in Qualapatty locality, is believed to have started from a spark in its electrical wiring as the building was undergoing large-scale repair work. The victims who stayed in a house located next to the church, are believed to have died due to asphyxiation.

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Vandalism ruled out in the secure locality

CA Lyngwa, superintendent of police, while talking to a media portal said that they are asserting the cause of the fire. She also added that the place was secure and gated, hence the possibility of vandalism has been ruled out. Furthermore, the Police also mentioned that even though the fire was noticed by the neighbours around 4 am, there is a possibility that it could have started inside the building a few hours earlier than that.

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It was also said that the police was quick to reach the spot and immediately asked the residents to come out of their houses quickly. However, the couple went back inside to get some of their valuables and were trapped inside because of the smoke. Fire tenders, however, found it difficult to reach the spot initially, due to the narrow roads. When they reached the spot and tried exhausting the fire, the building had already burnt down and nothing of it could be saved. 

Talking about the incident, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, while expressing his condolences on his Facebook page, wrote, “Woke up to the tragic news of the Church of God, Qualapatty, being gutted in fire that also claimed lives this morning. The indigenous church is one of the oldest in the state. My prayers for the deceased and the Church of God family.”

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