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Mutsawashe Mashandure Herald Correspondent
TRADERS at a shopping mall at the intersection of Joseph Wilfred Msika Street (Cameroon)and Fidel Castro Road (Charter Road) in Harare were left counting losses after goods worth thousands of dollars were destroyed by a fire yesterday.
The cause of the fire had not been established last night, but the owner of the complex said first indications were a gas leak from those running a canteen on the top floor.
The police and fire brigade were on the ground carrying out investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.
Clothing, cosmetics, food, gadgets, money and blankets are among the items that were destroyed.
Councillor for Ward 16 City of Harare, Mr Denford Ngadziore, said from where the fire started and the explosion that followed, the most likely cause was a gas explosion on the top floor of the building.
“We have traders who are using gas in their canteens so the gas exploded. The fire brigade team did a splendid job to prevent the fire spreading to surrounding buildings. I am advising people to stop the use of gas especially in business areas, people should get licences to use gas.”
Ms Laiza Sangwenya, a trader, said the fire started from the top of the building and there was a person who was welding.
“We just saw smoke coming out of the building. A fire brigade team came 10 minutes after the fire started. They doused the flames after 40 minutes because they did not have water”, she said.
Another shop owner, Ms Rejoice Mpofu, said the shop was her only source of income.
“I do not know what to do next, I am so hurt. This shop was my only source of income. I do not know where to start from,” she said.
Another shop owner who declined to be named but is from Chitungwiza said he had taken a loan to start the business.
“I recently took a loan from my friend and had just started my small business of buying and selling cellphones and television sets. I definitely have to repay that loan, but now I do not know how I am going to do that since all my goods have been destroyed in the fire. I am now stuck,” he said.
Ms Alice Nzirawo was at a loss for words.
“I have a shop in this building and I sell shoes for children. A few days ago, I had stocked my shop with school uniforms in preparation for back-to-school shoppers. All of that has been destroyed and this is devastating,” she said.
Mr Bernard Runoda said he had lost goods worth close to US$15 000 and he was devastated.
“I received a phone call when I was still at home,” he said. “When I arrived at the scene, the fire brigade was already there, but everything had been burnt. They only managed to stop the fire from spreading to other shops. I did not even manage to remove anything.”
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