St. Francis Catholic Church in Mimika burns down

A St. Francis Catholic Station Church in Kampung Pomako LS RT 03, East Mimika District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, has burned down. Inspector Fits Gerald M Nalohy, head of the Pomoko Port Area Police Sector, stated that witnesses reported thick smoke followed by flames emerging from inside the church, burning the roof and walls. “Witnesses immediately called for nearby residents to help extinguish the fire, but the flames had already grown too large, engulfing the entire church structure due to its construction from flammable materials such as wood, planks, and bamboo weaving,” he said. During the fire, low tide at Pomako Village made it difficult for residents to access water for firefighting. The police chief added that church officials indicated the fire likely started from a candle left unextinguished in front of the altar. Four fire trucks arrived at the scene and immediately began firefighting operations. There were no casualties or injuries, with material losses estimated at hundreds of millions of rupiah, including the church building, altar table, worship chairs, hymn books, and liturgical equipment. Residents are hoping for assistance to rebuild the church as a place of worship for the community in Pomako Village. He added that investigations based on information gathering, site inspections, and statements from residents and church officials concluded the main cause was an improperly extinguished candle placed in an unsafe location.