Police in Gogrial West County, Warrap State, have detained a
man accusing of starting a fire which later gutted a pharmacy on Wednesday
evening.
Akol Ajang Akot is a fuel seller at Panliet market in Awan
Riau Payam.
The 38-year-old was smoking while transferring some fuel
into bottles when the fuel caught fire. Officials estimated the fuel at 1,000
liters.
Adjacent to his shop was a pharmacy, which had just been
stocked with medicines worth $5,000, according to inspector of police in Awan
Riau Payam.
“The petrol caught fire and burnt down the makeshift shop
and later spread a nearby pharmacy,” 1st Lt. Deng Mou said, adding
that “The fuel seller is now under arrest.
The pharmacy was made of iron sheets, both the walls and
roof.
A brightly burning cigarette is widely recognized as a
dangerous ignition source for fires involving combustible gases, according to
experts.
Akol is being held in accordance with Article 191 of the
Penal Code Act 2008: Negligent Conduct Causing Danger to Person or Property.
It reads: “Whoever does any act in a manner so rashly or
negligent as to endanger human life or to be likely to cause hurt or injury to
any person or property, knowingly or negligently omits to take such order with
respect to any property…commits an offence, and upon conviction, shall be
sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or with a fine or
with both.”