Buildings, properties worth millions burnt down in Lae

Two building complexes worth millions of kina  were burnt down in Lae on Saturday morning.

One of building that Niuginin Wholesale has lost all medical drugs. Managing Director, Daniel King, said  that the fire will cost the company a lot.

The fire began at around 10am this morning in a building belonging to G4S security services.  It is believed the flames began in the file room. Police have blocked off sections of the road leading to the building. The blaze seemed to be out of control and it took fire fighters a while to calm the inferno.

Oliver Taua who works for G4S says he was in the building’s front office when he saw smoke coming out from the file room.

“The filling room was on fire… so we tried to use a fire extinguisher to contain the fire but we could not… we had to rush out of the building...”, he said.

By midday the fire had engulfed the entire building, including the one next to it; the Niugini Wholesale and Drug Suppliers warehouse and office complex.

Other shop owners near the two buildings made every attempt to keep the blaze from spreading to their own shops. This is one of several fires that have proven difficult to contain.