Fire guts houses in Lilongwe

A fierce fire that started due to an electrical fault in Lilongwe on Sunday razed down four houses at Katsukunya Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chitukula and destroyed property valued at over K1.6 million. The houses were all grass-thatched and were located where Electricity Corporation of Malawi (Escom) power lines from Sunseed Company to Central Poultry Farm pass. They caught fire when a branch of a tree tore off and fell on the power lines causing them to come into contact with one another igniting a spark that grew into a fire, according witnesses. Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) Police confirmed the incident, saying the fire destroyed all property in three of the houses while the owner of the fourth house managed to rescue his belongings. KIA Police spokesperson Sapulain Chitonde said: “We visited the scene together with Escom staff who advised the victims to obtain a police report for further intervention.” He said the three families lost property worth K700 000, K173,300 and K750 000 respectively. Police have since warned against building houses near or below power lines to avoid such accidents.