Mbare Musika Fire: Witnesses Call It the Worst Blaze In Decades
Witnesses of the Mbare Musika fire described it as possibly the worst blaze the area has seen in decades.
The fire, which broke out on Tuesday night, engulfed shacks and market stalls, rapidly spreading through the steel, wood, and plastic structures, as well as flammable materials typical of the shanty suburb.
As the fire raged, people sought to escape and salvage their belongings. Many carried large bags and pushed carts used for transporting goods, while others helped those in need amid the flames and crackling wood.
The scene was marked by shattered glass and crumbling structures, accompanied by sounds of distress and calls for assistance.
The fire reduced shacks to ashes, displacing residents and leaving families homeless, their livelihoods consumed by the flames.
Taurai Nendoro, a witness, told The NewsHawks that the fire began around 9 PM, but the cause remains unknown.
He said:
We really don’t know what caused the fire, but I have never seen anything like this in Mbare for the past 30 years I have been living here.
We only heard the fire was caused by candlelight, people use candles in this area as we usually don’t have electricity from 6 pm to 6 am.
This area is also overcrowded and any incident of fire can easily spread. There are lots of combustible materials in these dwellings here and that makes this place susceptible to fire outbreaks.
Another Mbare resident Vimbai Dandara said the damage to property and displacement of people was huge.
It’s a disaster. I don’t even know where I will go tonight; my family has lost everything. We have lost our dwelling, all the goods that we buy and sell to make a living and our belongings.
Charles Gomo, another witness, said the impact of the fire was severe, highlighting the destruction of property and loss of livelihoods, as well as the trauma and psychological distress faced by those affected. “This is shocking,” he remarked.
The fire brigade, along with other hands-on services from the Harare City Council, responded to the scene as firefighters worked to control the blaze.
Three fire tenders were deployed, but they faced challenges due to water shortages, a large crowd obstructing movement, and difficulties manoeuvring within the densely populated area.
Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama, who was at the scene, said:
This is a critical situation and as you can see the fire brigade is doing all it can to douse the fire. They were here at the earliest time possible and have been battling the blaze for hours.
However, the fire tenders have no capacity to carry adequate water to overcome this blaze immediately.
They have to keep on going back and forth to fetch water, so it will take time to put the situation under control.There is also the challenge of crowds and shanty structures here which make it difficult to manoeuvre.
Police need to help to control crowds and people’s movements to allow firefighters to do their work unimpeded.Investigations into the fire’s cause will follow after the blaze has been extinguished, and people and goods rescued.
We are doing all we can to quickly ensure this emergency is under control and people are helped.
More: Pindula News
