adminSithandazile Moyo Chronicle Reporter
PROPERTY worth thousands of dollars was destroyed when fire broke out at a block of flats in Bulawayo yesterday.
Victor Makuyana, a tenant at Kensington Flats, along George Silundika Street, between Second and Third avenues, said almost all of his property was gutted by the fire.
“Property worth approximately $20,000 was destroyed because the whole apartment caught fire and we could not come out with most of the property. We only managed to bring out a plasma television set, DVD player and a speaker,” he said.
He said all the four rooms of the apartment were damaged.
Makuyana said his wife was the one who saw the fire and rushed downstairs to inform him.
“It was around 10AM when my wife came running to the backyard where I was washing my car and told me that there was fire in our apartment.
“When I went to see what was happening there was smoke all over because the fire was running through the ceiling and it was big,” said Makuyana.
“Two of my children, one in Grade Five and another one in Grade zero, were taking a bath as we were preparing to go to church. They had to run out naked and we took them to the car for safety.”
He suspects the fire was caused by an electrical fault from the next apartment.
“My wife said the fire came from vacant apartment number five’s kitchen. I think maybe there was a touch or a spark somewhere which might have caused the fire. I am not suspecting anyone or any foul play,” said Makuyana.
Fire Brigade Senior divisional officer Edward Mpofu said they received a report of the fire at 10:10 hours and managed to be there on time to put out the blaze.
“We received a report at 10:10 in the morning and at 10:12 we were in attendance. The entire apartment number six was severely damaged by fire and part of apartment number five’s kitchen ceiling caught fire but was not destroyed. We, however, managed to completely put out the fire,” he said.
Mpofu said they are still investigating to establish the cause of the fire.
“We are yet to establish the cause of the fire because at the moment no one is certain of what and how the fire started,” said Mpofu.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter