GOODS worth millions of Kwacha were lost when fire swept through the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) flea market in Lusaka on Thursday night.
Some of the burnt goods included textile products, cellular phones, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food items.
According to eye-witnesses, the fire started around 19:00 hours from a suspected electric fault.
When I rushed to the market, I found scores of marketeers trying to rescue their property from the raging flames.
Many marketeers who could not save their goods from the fire wailed uncontrollably as they watched the timber-constructed structures transform into ashes.
There was also a flurry of armed police officers who were protecting the burning goods from thieves. The police had surrounded the market.
There was commotion because marketeers jostled to save their goods from the burning shops. Thieves also wanted to take the opportunity to steal but the police kept running after those embezzling other people’s property.
Efforts by the Lusaka fire station personnel to quench the fire proved inadequate once again because their low water pressure engines went dry so rapidly.
But even with re-enforcement from the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) and National Airport Corporation (NAC) fire engines, the flames that had engulfed a better part of at the flea market by 23:00 hours proved hard to put out.
At about midnight, the fire remained uncontrolled and the ZAF and NAC engine had not returned after going to refill the water tanks.
At this point, the police cordoned off the burning market to prevent pilferage and any possible danger because most shop owners were attempting to top the fire using bare hands.
Some of the burnt goods included textile products, cellular phones, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and food items.
According to eye-witnesses, the fire started around 19:00 hours from a suspected electric fault.
When I rushed to the market, I found scores of marketeers trying to rescue their property from the raging flames.
Many marketeers who could not save their goods from the fire wailed uncontrollably as they watched the timber-constructed structures transform into ashes.
There was also a flurry of armed police officers who were protecting the burning goods from thieves. The police had surrounded the market.
There was commotion because marketeers jostled to save their goods from the burning shops. Thieves also wanted to take the opportunity to steal but the police kept running after those embezzling other people’s property.
Efforts by the Lusaka fire station personnel to quench the fire proved inadequate once again because their low water pressure engines went dry so rapidly.
But even with re-enforcement from the Zambia Air Force (ZAF) and National Airport Corporation (NAC) fire engines, the flames that had engulfed a better part of at the flea market by 23:00 hours proved hard to put out.
At about midnight, the fire remained uncontrolled and the ZAF and NAC engine had not returned after going to refill the water tanks.
At this point, the police cordoned off the burning market to prevent pilferage and any possible danger because most shop owners were attempting to top the fire using bare hands.
Take a look at some of the images from the inferno.
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