News / National
Fire destroys property at Harare flats
2 hrs ago |
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Property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed after a fire broke out at Jels Court flats in Avondale, Harare, on Tuesday, prompting a swift response from the Harare City Fire Brigade that prevented the blaze from spreading to other sections of the residential complex.
Police confirmed the incident and said investigations into the cause of the fire were underway.
No fatalities or injuries were recorded.
Preliminary indications suggest the blaze may have been caused by stored fuel after three fuel containers were reportedly discovered in one of the apartments where the fire is believed to have started.
In a statement, the City of Harare confirmed that fuel containers had been recovered from the affected apartment and warned residents against storing flammable substances inside residential properties.
"While investigations are continuing, this is a cause for concern, and we urge residents to make sure that they do not keep dangerous and highly flammable substances like fuel in their residences," the city said.
"We have also noted from previous fire incidents that gas stoves also cause a lot of home fires and must, therefore, be kept properly secured."
The city urged residents to exercise caution when handling fuel and other combustible materials to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
Meanwhile, Convergence Community Emergency Response Team (ConCERT) founder Webster Jaricha commended the Harare City Fire Brigade for its rapid response, saying firefighters arrived in time to prevent the blaze from escalating.
"I received a call from a resident informing me that there was a fire at Jels Court. I immediately contacted the Harare City Fire Department, which quickly deployed firefighters to the scene, while our ConCERT team also responded to monitor the situation," he said.
"The Harare Fire Department arrived swiftly and successfully managed to contain the blaze."
Jaricha said it was still too early to determine the full extent of the damage, although several flats and valuable property were extensively affected by the fire.
Authorities are continuing with investigations to establish the exact cause of the incident.
Police confirmed the incident and said investigations into the cause of the fire were underway.
No fatalities or injuries were recorded.
Preliminary indications suggest the blaze may have been caused by stored fuel after three fuel containers were reportedly discovered in one of the apartments where the fire is believed to have started.
In a statement, the City of Harare confirmed that fuel containers had been recovered from the affected apartment and warned residents against storing flammable substances inside residential properties.
"While investigations are continuing, this is a cause for concern, and we urge residents to make sure that they do not keep dangerous and highly flammable substances like fuel in their residences," the city said.
The city urged residents to exercise caution when handling fuel and other combustible materials to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
Meanwhile, Convergence Community Emergency Response Team (ConCERT) founder Webster Jaricha commended the Harare City Fire Brigade for its rapid response, saying firefighters arrived in time to prevent the blaze from escalating.
"I received a call from a resident informing me that there was a fire at Jels Court. I immediately contacted the Harare City Fire Department, which quickly deployed firefighters to the scene, while our ConCERT team also responded to monitor the situation," he said.
"The Harare Fire Department arrived swiftly and successfully managed to contain the blaze."
Jaricha said it was still too early to determine the full extent of the damage, although several flats and valuable property were extensively affected by the fire.
Authorities are continuing with investigations to establish the exact cause of the incident.
Source - The Herald
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