The sub-post office in Dakopgre, Tura, was gutted after electrical equipment in the office allegedly caused a short circuit.
The incident, which took place at about 2am this morning, saw most of the equipment within the office gutted, though the timely intervention of the fire department ensured that the fire did not spread elsewhere.
The area, according to reports, has been cordoned off in an effort to investigate the source of the fire in view of the fact that various pressure groups had called for a boycott of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections, though prima facie, foul play has been ruled out.
“The matter is currently under investigation, though prima facie there seems to be no foul play involved. We have questioned a few people relating to the matter and further details are awaited,” said Superintendent of Police, MGR Kumar.
A team from the fire department as well as the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) have been on the scene to determine the cause with both blaming a short circuit.
Meanwhile, a source from the post office said that a machine that was supposed to have been switched off may have been left on, which led to the overloading of the system and the fire.
