Fire has gutted part of Mzuzu’s timber market, popularly known as Ku Vigwagwa, destroying goods worth millions of kwachas.
The market, which has long been described as a ticking bomb because nearly all the stalls are made of residual timber, began as a temporary marketplace in 2004.
The fire occurred on Tuesday night when flames from an unextinguished charcoal burner in one restaurant reportedly leapt to surrounding shops.
Northern Region Vendors Committee deputy secretary, Steve Makwakwa, who lost his timber stacks in the accident, said the fire began around 10pm.
He blamed Mzuzu City Council for not responding on time, saying: “We had already demolished some of the shops to create a firebreak when a fire engine arrived.”
He said the rescue team, which the vendors blame for being unskilled and ill-equipped, left without spraying water on the fire which largely consumed the timber section and surrounding shops.
Vendors from the market say they appealed to the council to relocate from the market after an unmonitored charcoal fire was also blamed for destruction of Mzuzu Main Market in June last year.
In an interview, mayor William Mkandawire said the temporary market has overstayed its welcome.
Said Mkandawire: “We thank government for constructing a flea market nearby and the vendors should relocate and ultilise the new facility.”
Eye-witnesses said scenes of looting occurred when fire razed down the market for the third time in five years, but regional police spokesperson Maurice Chapola said the law enforcers are yet to make any arrests.
