At least seven shops have been destroyed by a raging fire at Lubinga Market in Mzuzu City, leaving traders counting heavy losses.
The affected shops were located along a stretch popularly known as The Devil Street within the market, an area famous for its high business activity.
According to the market’s area chairperson, Fostino Banda, the fire broke out at dawn, but the exact cause of the inferno remains unknown.
“We called the fire department, but they came after everything had already burned. So we chased them,” Banda told reporters, expressing frustration over the delayed response by emergency services.
The delay by firefighters has raised concerns among traders, who blame the slow reaction for the extent of the destruction.
Meanwhile, hardware shop owner Wezzie Chunda said she suffered additional losses after thieves took advantage of the chaos to steal goods worth over K2 million.
“I lost everything in the fire, and on top of that, looters made the situation worse by taking what remained,” Chunda lamented.
Mzuzu Police have since confirmed that they are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fire and bring to justice those who looted property during the confusion.
The tragedy has sparked debate about the lack of effective fire safety measures and rapid response units in the city, with traders demanding urgent reforms to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
0 Comments