Fierce fire has destroyed a section of export-oriented Kawalazi Tea Estate Factory in Nkhata Bay, damaging tea and a tea drier that processes 350 kilogrammes (kg) of tea per hour.
Factory manager Rhodrick Nyali said in an interview the fire broke out after 9pm when they were drying tea.
He said: “It was a normal tea drying process to give it life when we suddenly heard an explosion then flames emanated from the drier.”
Nyali said the value of the damage is not yet established as insurers are yet to make an assessment.
He said the estate will continue production on its two lines which are still running.
Nkhata Bay Police spokesperson Ignatius Esau said the fire was caused by overheating of the drier.
The estate, which lies 50 kilometres from the city of Mzuzu, produces up to 3.6 million kg of tea annually which is sold at the tea auction in Limbe and in Mombasa, Kenya.
Commenting on this year’s tea market, Nyali said the company has exported 1.8 million kg of tea on contract to the United Kingdom. n
