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Vendors who sell fruits within Ngabu main market in Chikwawa braved themselves to put down the fire which caught part of the market in the evening of Wednesday.
A visit to the sight by Malawi News Agency (MANA) observed some vendors who tried to put down the fire which caught one side of the market where vendors sell various fruits but to no avail.
According to an eye witness, Jonathan Makiyi who saw the incident happening said, there was heavy wind which caused ESCOM wires from one pole to collide and caused a spark which resulted into the inferno.
Said Makiyi; “What caused this fire was a spark from the two electrical wires from the pole which was planted within the market.
After a few minutes frames of fire scattered into the grass thatched sheds which caught fire in the process.”
He stated that vendors had to run for their lives leaving everything at the place including money which they sold on the same day.
One of the vendors who spoke to MANA said the day to them started just like any other day of business.
“We were here selling our merchandize as usual. It is this evening when we experienced heavy winds that caused the two electrical wires from the pole to collide and resulted into this huge fire. We have lost everything including the money we sold today,” said the vendor.
He said over 20 vendors were allocated to sell various fruits at the site adding that they needed help from various well wishers to assist them as some of them came from far places and had nothing to start all over again.
“Government should help us so as to improve the market by building a modern market here. Because if we keep on relying on these grass thatched sheds, we will definitely keep experiencing such incidences,” he said.mana
