Tura, March 25: While the fire in the compound of Meghalaya’s first Chief Minister, (L) Capt. Williamson A. Sangma, sent shockwaves across the state, the firefighters had a difficult time to control the massive fire. Had the fire not been brought under control in time, it would have most likely destroyed the ancestral home of the late leader.

The house that caught fire belongs to former Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) MDC Fersen Ch. Momin, son of Capt. Sangma, which sustained extensive damage. It is located within the family’s ancestral compound in Tura’s Hawakhana area. Luckily, the original residence of Late Captain Williamson A Sangma, a structure of historic significance, was left untouched.

Fersen Ch. Momin is the father of Daryl William Cheran Momin – the son-in-law of current Leader of Opposition and veteran politician Dr Mukul Sangma.

The firefighting operation was something that had to be carried out swiftly and strategically, as any delay or lack to attention to details would have meant not just more damage to the historic complex but also major damage to the locality as the affected house is next to a gas agency, called Momin Gas Agency and is in close proximity to the AOC petrol pump.

While the exact time of the fire is not known, the fire department received the SOS call at around 11 AM. Superintendent of Police (Fire & Emergency Services), Bruno A. Sangma, said fire tenders from Tura were immediately dispatched to the site. Additional support was provided by fire units from Rongram, Dalu, and Garobadha, along with water tankers from the Tura Municipal Board (TMB) and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.

Just to put things into perspective about the challenge and how quickly the fire trucks had to reach Tura, Rongram is about 15 kms from Tura, which takes about 30 minutes of travel time; Dalu is about 49 kms from Tura, which takes over an hour of travel time; and Garobadha is about 28 kms from Tura, taking about 40 minutes of travel time.

In addition, emergency response teams, including the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), rushed to the site. Senior officials, including the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Western Range, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tura, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Fire & Emergency Services (Western Range), Additional SP, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team, were present to oversee the situation.

Even with multiple agencies working together and about 5 fire vehicles pressed into action from 4 units, it still took almost 4 hours of strenuous efforts to control the fire.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as all family members were out of town at the time of the incident.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, leading to extensive damage to important documents and property.

The incident has raised concerns about the preservation of Meghalaya’s historical legacy, given the significance of Late Captain Williamson A Sangma’s ancestral home. The site stands as a symbol of the state’s political history and the contributions of its leaders to Meghalaya’s formation and governance.

Also Read: Drone survey uncovers over 1.9 lakh metric tons of illegal coal in four districts of Meghalaya

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