Tegela flats gutted by fire

FIRE gutted an apartment at Griffin Terrace Flats in Bulawayo's Tegela suburb yesterday morning, destroying property worth thousands of dollars.

Residents said the fire started in one of the apartments at the block of flats and the owner suspects it could have been caused by an electrical fault.

The fire burnt down property including beds, wardrobes, clothes and blankets.

"There was no electricity, but when it returned after a few minutes, I just saw smoke coming from one of the bedrooms. When I checked one of the curtains was already burning," Thelma Chiremba, owner of the burnt apartment, said.

When the Southern Eye crew arrived at the scene, some of the property including refrigerators and stoves had been removed from the flat while fire fighters were at busy putting down the blaze.

Officials from the Bulawayo fire brigade said they were yet to establish the cause of the fire.

"We are still investigating the cause of the fire," Liaison Mabhena, a senior division officer with the fire brigade, said.

There were no injuries or loss of life.