PROPERTY worth thousands of dollars was reduced to ashes
after a doctor’s residence was gutted by fire at Mpilo Central Hospital in
Bulawayo.
It is suspected that the fire was caused by a heater which
was left on. The incident occurred between 12AM and 1AM yesterday. No one was
injured in the inferno and the other cottages housing doctors in the vicinity
were not affected by the fire.
The Bulawayo Fire Brigade suspects that the fire started in
the lounge and spread to other rooms, but they managed to control it.
Acting Bulawayo chief fire Officer, Mr Edward Mpofu said
that when they arrived at the scene, the sitting room had already been
destroyed, with the fire spreading to other rooms.
“I confirm receiving a call at around midnight and rushed
to the scene. When the firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the entire
house engulfed by smoke. The roof had already collapsed and household contents
were still burning. The lounge was already burnt down and the fire was starting
to spread to other rooms,” he said.
“Only the ceilings in the other rooms were torched down.
Most of the damage was caused by the smoke. We are yet to establish the cause
of the fire but we suspect a heater left on. Investigations are underway.”
Mr Mpofu warned the public against leaving gadgets such as
heaters and stoves on when people retire to bed.
“It is fortunate that no lives were lost in this incident
hence we continue to urge people to cross-check both gas and electrical
appliances before they retire to bed. People should never be tempted to sleep
with heaters on as this is very risky. Sadly, this doctor has lost almost
everything to the fire but we are grateful that no life was lost,” he said.
When The Chronicle arrived at the scene in the morning, the
damage was evident as the walls were covered in soot while the ceiling had been
completely destroyed. Heaps of burnt property was inside and outside the house.
In an interview, Mpilo Hospital Clinical Director Officer
Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said almost US$20 000 worth of property was lost in the
fire. He said the doctor was asleep in his bedroom when he was awakened by
smoke.
“He was lucky to escape with his life because the fire was
almost burning down the whole house when he woke up. We thank God he is alive
but he is traumatised because he lost his valuables, including important
documents,” he said.
Last year in an almost similar situation, an inferno
engulfed the doctors’ quarters at Mpilo and property valued nearly $300 000 was
destroyed.
The fire started in a common room where the doctors do
their cooking where someone could have left the stove on and spread to the
entire building through the ceiling. Chronicle
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