By Innocent Kalikokha:
Vendors at Dyeratu Market in Chikwawa District had a rude awakening Sunday afternoon when fire destroyed part of the market, reducing merchandise to ashes in the process.
Dyeratu Market Chairperson Henry Chimwala said they suspected that an electrical fault was responsible for the blaze.
“Sparks have been emanating from a pole for some time and we suspect that it could be behind the fire.
“As at now, I cannot disclose how much has been damaged by the fire but we can estimate that almost 50 people have been affected by it,” Chimwala said.
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He hailed PressCane Limited workers for putting out the fire.
However, Chikwawa Police Station spokesperson Dickson Matemba said they have launched investigations into the fire to understand what caused it.
“What I can say is that the fire damaged part of Dyeratu Market but, as at now, we cannot say for certain what caused it. We are conducting investigations,” Matemba said.
Earlier this year, fire also gutted down structures and merchandise outside Ndirande Main Market in Blantyre, meaning that vendors continue to lose property to fires at their workplaces.
