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Arson not ruled out in building fire
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Posted on Apr 19 2005
Investigators are looking at the possibility of arson being behind the fire that gutted a Chalan Piao commercial and housing establishment last week and its possible link to a homicide case that happened in the same building earlier this year.
Police discovered the body of a dead Chinese woman in one of the rooms at the establishment last Jan. 24. The woman, who was supposed to turn 43 yesterday, had injuries on her body and signs of having been strangled.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Eric David said that he was unaware if evidence gathering at the room had been completed in connection with the homicide case.
One of the building’s occupants who was interviewed by the Saipan Tribune during the fire, Fang Jiang, said that the incident might be a case of arson because the room where the homicide case allegedly happened had remained unoccupied since then. Living in an adjacent room, Fang said she was taking a shower when she heard a loud explosion from that room.
David said investigators have not reached a conclusion yet as to whether or not last week’s fire was intentionally set. However, David said the explosion that occurred during the fire resulted from a heated liquefied petroleum gas tank. He clarified that the explosion of the LPG did not cause the fire, but that the blaze caused the LPG tank to explode.
The fire almost totally gutted the building, which housed some commercial establishments and workers’ barracks. A certain Juan Castro owns the Beach Road, Chalan Piao building, according to David.
David said the fire was reported to authorities at about 7:40pm last Thursday. Firefighters declared the blaze under control at about 9:21pm. David said there were at least 20 occupants in the building, but none of them was hurt.
