Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 11 (EMN): In an unfortunate incident, two morungs at Kisama were destroyed by fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday, hardly 20 days before the much-awaited Hornbill Festival begins.
Officials from Kohima Fire department told Eastern Mirror that the fire first started from the Ao Morung before spreading to the adjacent Chang Morung. While Ao Morung was completely razed, Chang Morung was partially destroyed.
Luckily, firefighters reached the spot on time and doused the fire before it could spread further, it was informed.
Upon receiving the call at 3:24 am, three fire engines and 17 firefighters reached the spot at 3:49 am and were pressed into action, which went on for one hour and forty minutes, the official said.
Property worth approximately INR 80 lakh was damaged in the fire.
The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained till the time of filing this report.
On visiting the site in the evening, this newspaper found villagers from Phesama and Kigwema clearing the debris at Ao Morung; they were yet to begin cleaning the Chang Morung.
Ao Union Kohima President Chuba Jamir and Vice President T Chubayanger, who were at the site, informed that a temporary morung would be set up with the help of the locals for the upcoming Hornbill Festival. Once the festival is over, they informed that a permanent morung would be built.
Meanwhile, locals informed that with availability of the right materials and professional builders, new morungs could be built before the Hornbill Festival.
Prior to the arrival of the fire brigade, it was informed that Lontin Phom, Social And Cultural Secretary of Kohima Phom Union, along with his two brothers T Hongthei Phom and T Sangmei Phom (both students), who were lodging at Phom Morung (right above Chang Morung) at the time, helped prevent the fire from spreading.
Narrating the incident, Hongthei Phom recalled waking up to the sounds of burning flames at around 3:15 am on Thursday. By the time they woke up, 60% of the Ao Morung was destroyed.
"We could not do anything about it," he said, adding that they called the fire station to inform them about the incident.
'With Chang Morung and ours (Phom Morung) next in line for fire to spread, we started pouring water on the Chang Morung to delay the fire from spreading rapidly until they (fire brigade) arrived. They reached here right on time and saved other morungs from the fire. If not for their timely intervention, all the morunga in Kisama would have been razed,’ he shared.
The trio had been stationed at Phom Morung since Tuesday for painting works in and around the morung.