The Municipality of Gwanda said that firemen dispatched to extinguish a fire engulfing a Toyota Runx on November 18 were unable to operate the fire tender, leading them to “improvise their firefighting strategy.”
The vehicle caught fire outside Gwanda town centre, near the NSSA complex along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, on Monday afternoon.
Videos and photos circulating on social media showed firemen using a suction hose to collect water in a dish, which they then poured onto the burning vehicle.
In a statement, the Municipality of Gwanda revealed that the leading fireman initially reported that the fire tender could not engage the required gears for proper operation.
However, it was later determined that there was no technical fault with the vehicle. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
On Monday 18th of November 2024, the Municipality of Gwanda received a distress call of a motor vehicle that had caught fire. The fire team responded to the call timeously.
However, the leading fireman reported that the vehicle could not engage the required gears for correct operations.
This led them to improvise on the firefighting strategy, which is not ideal for such incidents and also posed a risk to the personnel.
After a thorough investigation on the incident, it was noted that there was no technical fault with regards to the vehicle.
There is a need for Fire Section of the Municipality to follow Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that there are no hiccups when duty calls.
Our priority is the safety and well being of our community and we are committed to transparency and accuracy in our communications.
Our Municipality regrets this unfortunate incident and corrective measures have been taken to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.
Our Fire Section will always be ready to respond when duty calls.
</blockquote>
The vehicle, which was travelling from Beitbridge to Gwanda, is believed to have developed a mechanical fault.
The driver reportedly engaged a mechanic to fix the problem, but as the mechanic worked on the car, it suddenly caught fire.
Despite the efforts of the fire brigade, the vehicle was completely consumed by the flames.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The Gwanda Council said firefighters couldn't use their fire truck to put out a car on fire. They had to use a different way to stop the fire. Videos and pictures showed them using a hose to collect water and pour it on the burning car. Later, it was found out that there was nothing wrong with the fire truck. The car caught fire because of a mechanical problem. The council said they will make sure their fire department follows the right procedures. They are sorry for what happened and will do better in the future.

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