Fire sweeps through Kitwe shops

Property Worth thousands of Kwacha was last night burnt after an inferno swept through three shops in Kitwe town centre, reports Zambian Eye Correspondent.

A check at the scene found fire fighters putting off the fire around 8pm CAT.

The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in one of the affected shops.

The fire is believed to have started from Obote Chemist before spreading to Nyroco investment and Furniture and the other nearby shop along Obote Avenue Opposite Katilungu house.

Eye witness talked to allegedly that there was someone who was welding in one of the shops and the unidentified left the shop , smoke was spotted coming out of Nyroco Investments.

“We just saw smoke coming out of the shop then we called the police but the fire fighters took long to come” one of the eye witnesses said.

He explained that Kitwe city council fire fighters where first to arrive but they didn’t have enough water before the fire was put off water finished from their water tanks.

Mopani Copper Mines fire fighters later came to help and they managed to put off the fire by 22:30hrs.

Meanwhile, Kitwe District Officer Commanding Elizabeth Machina said they received a report that fire have gutted the 3 shops then informed the Fire fighters.

She was however not in position to give the cause of fire stressing that investigations have been instituted to ascertain the cause of the fire.

“Right now I cannot give the correct position on the cause of the fire but I can confirm that 3 shops have gotten burnt” Ms Machina Confirmed.

And the owners of the shops could not give a Comment saying they will just give a report by today after all the information is known.