Fire destroys property worth over K41,000 in Lavushimanda District in Muchinga Province
Lavushimanda, January 15, 2025. Property valued at over K41,000 has been reduced to ashes after fire swept through a shop on Tuesday around 15:00 hrs at Mununga Quarry lay-bye in Lavushimanda district of Muchinga Province.
Muchinga Province Police Commissioner, Dennis Moola confirmed to ZANIS that police in Lavushimanda received a report around 15:40 hours, from Modester Mbazima, aged 40 of Kapanda Village in Mpumba Chiefdom of Lavushimanda district that his shop was on fire and property belonging to his tenant reduced to ashes.
He however said the cause of the fire is not known as the shop is not electrified.
The Police Commissioner named the tenant of the shop as Richwell Bubala aged 28 of Mununga quarry area, whose property valued at a total cost of K41,885-00 was destroyed in an inferno.
He said brief facts are that Mr. Bubala who is a fuel vendor was using the same shop as storage for the fuel while the other compartment in the shop was being used as a grocery by Modester Mbazima, the owner of the shop.
“The matter was reported to the police in Lavushimanda around 15:40 hrs by the shop owner, Modester Mbazima aged 40 of Kapanda Village Chief Mpumba, who reported that his shop was burnt and property for his tenant was also burnt in the inferno,” he said.
He further explained that on January 13th 2025, the victim bought fuel for sale from the truckers which was 12 by 20 liters containers of Diesel and one 210 liter drum of petrol and put them in the storage as usual.
He added that on January 14th, 2025 around 14:40 hours, the wife to the one who reported the matter to the Police, Florence Chanda who was in the apartment selling groceries was alerted by passer-byes that the rare compartment was on fire and she quickly called the husband who latter reported the matter to the police.
The Police Commissioner further explained that acting on the report, police visited the scene and found the shop on fire.
He said police have opened an inquiry file for investigations into the matter to ascertain the cause of the fire.
And the victim, Richwell Bubala who was visibly shocked narrated from the accident scene that he received a call on his way back from Mpika that his shop had been gutted and upon arrival, he found all his property reduced to ashes.
He has however appealed for any assistance from well-wishers and Government.
“I was coming from Mpika when I received a call that my shop had caught fire and this came as a shock to me because it is my only source of income and no one remained here so I don’t know what caused the fire,” he complained.
And one of the eye witnesses, Charles Mudenda, a Mununga resident narrated that he rushed to the accident scene after noticing a huge smoke coming from the shop and efforts to retrieve the properties inside proved futile due to the extent of the fire.
Meanwhile Officers from the Mpika Town Council Fire Brigade Unit however responded and managed to quench the fire as they arrived at the accident scene around 17:30 hours.
Another resident of Mununga, Marvelous Chisenga called on the Local Authority in Lavushimanda to procure their own fire tender than relying on the one from Mpika, which may not be available on time when such accidents occur.
When asked for a comment, Lavushimanda Town Council Secretary, Dominic Makisa stated that plans are underway for the Local Authority to procure a fire tender as they already have a fire response unit with one officer.
He however says procedure has to be followed for the Council to procure a fire tender as it is a developing council.
“We are still growing as a council and we have a fire unit with one office and also it is procedural to procure a fire tender but plans are underway,” he said.
