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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
PROPERTY worth thousands of dollars was destroyed when one of the boys’ hostels at Tongogara High School in Shurugwi was gutted by fire which is suspected to have been caused by pupils who were allegedly smoking in the dormitories.
It is alleged that some boys were smoking cigarettes in the hostel resulting in the blankets and curtains catching fire and subsequently gutting down the whole floor. Pupils, a majority of them sitting for Ordinary Level Zimsec examinations were left stranded as their clothes, books and other valuables were destroyed.
Acting Midlands Provincial Education Director Reverend Tedious Mativenga confirmed the incident which occurred on Wednesday last week in the afternoon.
Rev Mativenga said no one was injured in the incident.
He said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education together with the police were carrying out investigations to establish the cause of the fire.
“I can confirm that one of the hostels at Tongogara High School in Shurugwi was gutted down by fire which broke out in the afternoon. The Fire Brigade was called immediately and managed to put out the fire. However, the top floor of the double storey hostel had already been destroyed.
We have sent a team on the ground and also the police are investigating the matter to establish the cause of the fire,” he said.
A source at the school told Sunday News that some of the pupils were smoking in the hostel when it caught fire.
Bongani Ndlovu