Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
A Luveve 5 family yesterday lost property worth about US$6 000 to a fire that burnt down their house.
The family lost farming equipment, catering material and other valuables that they had been importing to start an irrigation project and also open a restaurant.
Mr Nkululeko Ndlovu and his brother Mr Njabulo Ndlovu were working on starting the planned family projects.
“There was a small fire outside where we were cooking porridge while preparing to go to church. We are not sure if it is the one that caused this big fire which started from the front in the room where we stored the imported farming equipment. The equipment was in cardboard boxes and plastics and I think this is what made the fire uncontrollable,” said Mrs Veronica Ndlovu.
Mr Njabulo Ndlovu said they were devastated by the loss of equipment.
“We have been saving and importing this equipment as a family to establish this irrigation project and also open a restaurant. We have been working on these planned investments for the past few years,” he said.
Among the equipment destroyed in the fire is a plastic sheet used in greenhouses, seeds, an incubator, generators, fridges and other household property as well as groceries meant to last six months.
When a Chronicle newscrew arrived at the scene, members of the Roman Catholic Church where the family are also members, were at the house.
Mr Nkululeko Ndlovu was struggling to breathe after inhaling smoke while trying to retrieve some documents from the burning house.
The Ndlovus said residents tried to help them put out the fire using buckets while awaiting the arrival of the Fire Brigade.
Mr Njabulo Ndlovu ended up driving to North End Fire Station to seek help and when the fire fighters eventually arrived, they had challenges operating their equipment and they did not have enough water.
“Fire fighters took more than an hour to arrive at the scene and when they came, they seemed to be having challenges in operating their equipment and they also had little water.
All they did was pour water on some ashes. It pains me that I had to drive all the way to North End to seek help and fire fighters got here while it was still possible to save some rooms, but they did not have enough water,” said Mr Ndlovu.
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