Fire guts Maneb warehouse

Fire yesterday razed down Malawi National Examinations Board (Maneb) warehouse in Zomba.

It took the fire brigade in the city about four hours to put out the fire that started around midday.

Maneb spokesperson Simeon Maganga was not available to give an estimate of the damage, but Eastern Region Police public relations officer Thomeck Nyaude confirmed the fire accident.

Nyaude said the cause was yet to be established.

He said there were people working inside the warehouse and they had gone outside during lunch hour to prepare m’memo when they suddenly saw smoke coming out from the building.

Said Nyaude: “When they went inside to see what was happening, they found a fierce fire inside. The people wanted to switch off the main electricity switch in the building, but were unable to do so because the room was one of the rooms that was fiercely burning up.”

He said it took three teams from the Zomba City Council fire brigade, Zomba State House and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Air Wing to put the fire out.

Added Nyaude: “Just a few items which include computers have been rescued from the fire, but the damaged items are estimated to be in millions as the warehouse was housing a lot of properties belonging to the examining body.”

Nyaude said Maneb officials has assured them that the fire accident will not affect anything to do with the unreleased results of Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations as they will come out at their prepared time.

Maneb released results of the Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations on Wednesday.