Scores of traders housed at S. Nyahokwe Shopping Mall at the corner First Street and George Silundika Avenue in Harare’s central business district were left counting losses after goods worth thousands of dollars were burnt to ashes in a fire accident, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.
The Fire Brigade was at the scene to extinguish the flame, but most of the wares in the partitioned First Floor of the mall were already burnt.
Speaking to The Herald following the incident, Mrs Sipiwe Zvinavashe, an administrator at S. Nyahokwe Mall, said the Fire Brigade stopped further damage by quickly reacting to the incident.
“The fire started early this morning, but we do not know how much we have lost so far,” she said. “We do have insurance cover, so we will soon engage the insurance company and figure out how they can assist us.”
The affected traders started evacuating the First Floor, which was the most affected and badly damaged.
One of the traders, Tanaka Mbiringa, said: “I am devastated after we lost clothes that we were selling. This fire came at a time we were looking forward to making more sales during this festive season.
“Though the Fire Brigade came in fairly quick time, the damage had been done.”
Speaking to The Herald at the scene, City of Harare Fire Brigade assistant divisional officer, Mr Philip Marufu said they managed to contain the fire before it spread to other shops.
“We have managed to put the fire under control,” he said. “Several shops on the first floor suffered extensive damage, but we are still examining the extent of the damage.”
In other news,
Twitter influencer ‘Lincoln Shoko’ perishes in a horrific accident
Former Chinhoyi University and MSU students woke up to sad news that Lincoln Shoko has died.
Lincoln is well known for his provoking tweets and his way of explaining reality. He died today along Bulawayo Road after the car he was driving collided with a truck.
This tragic event comes a year after he graduated with a…continue reading