Quelimane (Mozambique), 1 Aug (AIM) – A devastating fire destroyed, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, at least 700 stalls in the main market of Quelimane, capital of the central Mozambican province of Zambézia.
Eye-witnesses told AIM that the first flames were seen inside the market, at around 04.30, and quickly spread from stall to stall.
“Early in the morning, I and my other taxi driver friends came across smoke in that area of the market, but at first we assumed it was just burning of garbage, in other words, morning cleaning”, said Bonito Alferes.
At around 05:40, AIM witnessed the spread of the flames, which caused some stall owners to put in place preventive measures against the fire, while they waited for the fire brigade.
A crowd, including owners and their friends, swarmed into the burning market, trying to put out the fire and recover their belongings to minimize the damage. However, the intensity of the flames was such that the total destruction of many of the stalls could not be avoided.
The victims of the fire, visibly upset, lamented the slowness and ineffectiveness of the fire brigade (SENSAP).
“We called the fire department, which is right here next to the market, but they went to the fire two hours after the event, without the logistical capacity to face the flames”, said Liano Angel, one of the traders.
The Zambezia commander of SENSAP, André Cazangua, said it was premature to provide details about the cause of the fire, but he suggested it was caused by a short circuit.
“There are several scenarios, among them distraction in the place where meals are prepared, the quality of the electrical installations and the charging of cell phone batteries through rudimentary means”, said Cazangua.
Reacting to the alleged ineffectiveness of his staff, the commander recognized that this resulted from the lack of material and the obsolete state of the only three fire engines in operation in the province.
Before the fire, there were 5.036 stalls in the Quelimane central market.
(AIM)
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