News / National
51 train coaches destroyed by fire in Zimbabwe
17 Sep 2024 at 19:45hrs | Views
A fire that broke out at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) mechanical workshop in Bulawayo on Monday afternoon destroyed 51 decommissioned passenger coaches, the parastatal has confirmed.
The suspected veld fire spread rapidly, reducing the coaches to shells and took over four hours for the Bulawayo Fire Brigade to bring under control.
In a statement to the Chronicle, NRZ public relations manager Mr. Andrew Kunambura provided an update, saying, "The total number of coaches that were burnt yesterday at the National Railways of Zimbabwe mechanical workshop in Bulawayo is 51."
The full extent of the financial loss is yet to be determined, though no deaths or injuries were reported.
To contain the fire, six fire tenders were deployed, and firefighters had to tap into NRZ’s borehole system for water, with additional water bowsers from the Bulawayo City Council called in to assist in quelling the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The suspected veld fire spread rapidly, reducing the coaches to shells and took over four hours for the Bulawayo Fire Brigade to bring under control.
In a statement to the Chronicle, NRZ public relations manager Mr. Andrew Kunambura provided an update, saying, "The total number of coaches that were burnt yesterday at the National Railways of Zimbabwe mechanical workshop in Bulawayo is 51."
To contain the fire, six fire tenders were deployed, and firefighters had to tap into NRZ’s borehole system for water, with additional water bowsers from the Bulawayo City Council called in to assist in quelling the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Source - The Chronicle
