Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, Deputy Echo Editor
A fire has destroyed Nash Takeaway, located at the corner of 4th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo’s city centre, after an explosion that followed a power restoration late Monday night.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mr Nhlangano Moyo confirmed the incident, saying the fire brigade found the building well alight upon arrival, with flames spreading rapidly.
“The Nash Takeaway shop was severely burnt this time. Previously, we managed to contain the fire with minimal damage,” said Mr Moyo. “However, there was a delay in calling the brigade, and the premises did not have a security guard.”
Mr Moyo said preliminary investigations point to an explosion caused by a power surge soon after electricity was restored following an outage.
“Our investigation is that soon after power was restored, something exploded and the fire caught four 19kg gas cylinders, which later fuelled the fire heavily,” he said.
Firefighters first worked to isolate the gas cylinders to prevent further explosions, but the leaking liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) intensified the flames.
“The intensity of the fire was heavy due to the presence of LPG. The fire also spread to the neighbouring bed and mattress shop, but we managed to contain it with minimal damage,” added Mr Moyo.
Mr Moyo said firefighters faced difficulties entering the building as it was already engulfed in smoke and flames by the time they arrived.
“It was a difficult task to gain access, and the building was already smoke-filled with flames on the roof,” he said.
He also urged business and property owners in the city to display their contact numbers on their premises to enable quick communication during emergencies.
“We continue to conscientise property owners to display their numbers so that in cases like this, we can easily reach them,” said Mr Moyo.
Nash Takeaway had previously experienced a smaller fire incident that was contained before causing major damage. However, this latest blaze has left the property extensively damaged.
No injuries were reported, and investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause and extent of the losses.
