Massive fire guts Steelworks Industrial yard in Bulawayo

A towering blaze tore through the Steelworks Industrial area in Bulawayo on Thursday afternoon, destroying property estimated to be worth millions of dollars and leaving a trail of devastation.

The inferno erupted with ferocious speed, consuming a truck, several trailers, and hundreds of hay bales. Thick columns of black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from kilometres away, as the fire raged uncontrollably through the yard.

The Bulawayo Fire Brigade dispatched five fire engines to the scene in a desperate effort to contain the flames. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, working under intense heat and hazardous conditions to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and desperation as workers and business owners scrambled to rescue vehicles, equipment, and goods before they were overtaken by the flames. "We just saw the smoke and ran out. Everything happened so fast. We tried to move what we could, but the fire was too strong," said one business owner who watched helplessly as his property burned.

While officials have yet to confirm the cause of the fire, preliminary reports suggest that it may have ignited near a stack of hay bales stored in the open yard. From there, the fire is believed to have spread rapidly, fuelled by flammable materials and dry conditions.

City authorities and the Bulawayo Fire Department are expected to conduct a full investigation into the incident. No injuries or fatalities have been reported so far, but the scale of the damage has dealt a heavy blow to businesses operating in the industrial zone.

This latest industrial fire raises fresh concerns about fire safety and preparedness in commercial zones across the city. Business owners have called for stricter enforcement of storage and fire hazard regulations to prevent future disasters of this magnitude.

This is a developing story.....