Tragedy At COMESA Market, Woman Dies

COMESA market in Lusaka has gone up in flames. The fire broke off around 21 Hours and affected almost the entire market.

By 22:30 Hours, the fire was still blazing and the fire brigade on site trying to bring down the flames. Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo Town Clerk Alex Mwansa and officials from the provincial administration and the Lusaka City Council were on the scene.

Police officers ended up fire shots to scare away members of the public who wanted to loot some of the goods as the fire was raging. By time of writing , police had not issued an official statement on the matter.

On Thursday morning, Buteko Market in Mufulira district on the Copperbelt Province was gutted following the fire that swept through the trading place, reducing almost everything to rubble.

Mufulira Mayor, Gift Mushinge said in an interview with ZANIS, that the fire started around 01:00 hours in morning and was only quenched around 04: 00 by a team of Council Fire Fighters from Mufulira Municipal Council and Mopani Copper Mines adding that, the cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Mr. Mushinge who described the development as unfortunate, said a committee had since been instituted to establish the cause of the inferno. The Mufulira Mayor said he was saddened with the news owing to the fact that the market is a source of many people’s income.

He said earlier this year, President Edgar Lungu expressed concern at the way markets were being administered when he visited the district early this year further stating that, it is embarrassing that his concerns were not attended to.

Mr. Mushinge has however, urged the affected marketeers to take heart as government is with them and that plans to construct a modern market are underway.

And Mufulira Council Public Relations Officer, Thandiwe Tembo said the fire mostly affected the vegetable and furniture sections. Ms. Tembo said properties worth thousands of kwacha have been destroyed.

She said the team of fire fighters is still on the ground to ensure that the fire is thoroughly quenched.

A Tanzanian female trader has died. The trader identified as Kissa wison Mwakasiyah, a resident of Kanyama died due to suffocation after she attempted to salvage some goods from her shop as the fire was raging.