Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
A SECURITY guard was killed and more than 80 properties damaged when 1 200 boxes of explosives detonated at a Buchwa Iron Mining Company (BIMCO) storage facility in Redcliff early on Sunday, with authorities suspecting an attempted theft.
The explosion, which occurred at about 3AM, ripped apart the concrete structure housing the explosives and sent shockwaves across the mining town, damaging homes, shops, garages and the Redcliff Civic Centre.
Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube, who visited the scene and toured affected properties, said preliminary information suggested that suspected criminals had tied up the security guard before attempting to break into the explosives storage facility.
“At 3AM, we experienced an explosion in Redcliff, Kwekwe, at BIMCO, where explosives were kept.
Unfortunately, there were 1 200 boxes of explosives which exploded, causing damage to the whole of Redcliff,” he said.
“Houses, shops and garages have been affected by this explosion. Unfortunately, the security guard lost his life. Investigations are continuing.”
Minister Ncube said the circumstances surrounding the explosion and the guard’s death were still under investigation.
“The security guard was allegedly tied up before the suspected criminals attempted to open the explosives storage room,” he said.
The force of the blast left a gaping hole in the storage facility and caused damage to buildings across several suburbs, despite the site being situated in a mountainous area.
Zimbabwe National Army 5 Infantry Brigade commander Brigadier-General Lawrence Munzararikwa said security forces mobilised soon after receiving reports of the incident and secured the affected area.
“Since we were informed of this unfortunate incident early in the morning, we mobilised the security architecture for the province. The JOC is here and we attended the scene of the incident,” he said.
“What we found was that there was a big explosion and that explosion created massive damage to the immediate surroundings of the site where the magazine was located. We have since normalised the area in terms of security.”
Brig-Gen Munzararikwa said temporary barricades had been erected to restrict access while security personnel assessed the scene.
He warned residents against visiting the area, saying some explosives might not have detonated during the initial blast and could pose a danger.
“We suspect strongly that after the explosion, we could have some remnants of explosives that did not explode or detonate. We may need expert intervention to search around the area thoroughly and ensure that such rubble or debris has been taken into account before people can visit the area,” he said.
Brig-Gen Munzararikwa urged residents in and around Redcliff to comply with the restrictions and allow security personnel and explosives experts to complete their assessments.
Redcliff Municipality spokesperson Mr Michael Magoronga confirmed that more than 80 properties had been damaged, including the civic centre, commercial buildings and residential houses.
He said a bolt cutter and other tools suspected to have been used to force open the storage facility’s door had been recovered at the scene.
“The matter is now with the Joint Operations Command (JOC). So investigations are now underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the explosion and the security guard’s death,” said Mr Magoronga.
Residents said the blast had left them shaken, with some fearing for their families after windows and other parts of their homes were damaged.
“I was asleep and I do not know what it was that had burst, shaking the whole house,” said Mrs Annah Shumba.
Mr Emmanuel Moyo said some windows at his house were damaged.
“My first thought was my children. They were in one of the rooms which was affected by the blast, causing some window panes to crack,” he said.
Redcliff Mayor Alderman Vincent Shangwa Masiiwa also described the impact of the explosion as severe.
