GOODS and merchandise worth millions of dollars were destroyed in a fire outbreak at Mbare Musika market, Harare, on Tuesday night. The cause of the fire is yet to be established, with Harare City Council saying it is still assessing the extent of damage caused.
“We are still assessing the extent of the damage as the fire-fighters are still on the ground now trying to clear the smouldering. It will take the best part of the day to clear the small pockets of fire left. (The) cause of fire is still being investigated and they are gathering information from the people who operate there,” said council spokesperson Stanley Gama.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire may have been caused by cigarette smokers who sell sweeping brooms in the market.
“They've been careless before, I recall a similar incident in 2005, but fortunately, the fire was extinguished quickly before it spread,” said one.
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Meanwhile, some of the vendors who lost goods in the inferno said they have lost hope of coming back into the business considering that they had no insurance cover.
“The solution is to modernize such markets otherwise they will continue to face similar problems. At Glen View home industries we have put in place various fire preventive measures and that’s what is needed for such markets as Mbare Musika. It needs to be rebuilt, modernised and have strict preventive measures put in place,” Gama said.