Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
A Hillside suburb family on Thursday lost property worth thousands of dollars when a house they were renting was razed by fire this morning, while delays in calling the fire brigade compounded the situation.
The family did not have the fire brigade emergency numbers, according to the Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer, Mr Mhlangano Moyo.
“We had a property fire at House No. 1A Norfolk Road, Hillside; the house was completely gutted. When the occupants woke up, the entire house was well alight with the roof already collapsed,” said Mr Moyo.
He said, according to the tenant, Nhlanhla Dube, soon after waking up in shock, they observed that the roof was engulfed in flames.
“They didn’t have emergency numbers, resulting in one neighbour calling ZITF personnel, who subsequently came to the station to make a report,” said Mr Moyo.
Mr Moyo said the family woke up to a house engulfed in fire and the roof caving in.
“In panic, they rushed to make a report at Hillside Police Station, but as fate would have it, station phones were down. They then phoned a nearby neighbour, who called someone at the ZITF, and it’s that fellow who walked to the Famona Fire Station to make a report,” said Mr Moyo, adding that investigations to determine the cause of the fire were underway, although indications are that it may have been an electrical fault.
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