Online Reporter
Pictures by Obey Sibanda, Gift Moyo and Bongani Ndlovu
DRAMATIC scenes unfolded in Bulawayo’s central business district on Wednesday afternoon when a two-storey building along Leopold Takawira Avenue was engulfed by fire.
The blaze, which started at about 1.15PM between George Silundika Street and Fife Street, sent thick clouds of smoke across the city centre as firefighters battled to contain the inferno.
The building housed students who rented rooms on the first floor, while several businesses, including a bar, restaurant, pharmacy and a tourism-related company, operated on the ground floor.
Bulawayo Fire Brigade chief fire officer Mr Mhlangano Moyo said firefighters found several gas cylinders believed to have been used by students living in the building. The cause of the fire was, however, still under investigation.
In a dramatic moment captured by onlookers, a woman was forced to jump from the first floor as she attempted to escape the flames. Members of the public rushed to her aid and managed to catch her, helping to break her fall.
One person was later taken to hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation, while no deaths were recorded.
The fire left the building extensively damaged, destroying accommodation and business premises and highlighting the dangers posed by fires in densely occupied buildings in the city centre.
The incident attracted large crowds as residents, workers and passers-by gathered to watch the emergency response.
The Bulawayo Fire Brigade is continuing investigations to establish the exact cause of the blaze and assess the full extent of the damage.
