Massive Fire Destroys House in Lilongwe's Area 49 Proper
In a shocking incident, residents of Area 49 in Lilongwe were witnesses to a massive fire that destroyed the house of local resident, Esther Ngulube Banda, Wednesday morning, writes Naome Chisala.
LILONGWE, Malawi - In a shocking incident, residents of Area 49 Proper in Lilongwe were witnesses to a massive fire that destroyed the house of local resident, Esther Ngulube Banda, Wednesday morning, writes Naome Chisala.
The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
The charred remains of Banda's house now stand as a grim testament to the destructive power of the blaze.
Fortunately, neighbouring residents managed to salvage a few belongings from the house while they bravely attempted to bring the fire under control.
Gladys Size, Banda's next-door neighbour, played a heroic role in alerting the community to the unfolding tragedy.
Size noticed a huge cloud of smoke emanating from Banda's house at around 8 a.m.
"I initially assumed that my neighbour was probably burning rubbish, so I first ignored it," she recalls.
"However, a few minutes later, I saw the ceiling catch fire, and that was when I realised that the house was ablaze."
Size wasted no time and rushed to the house to find Banda absent, leaving behind her 26-year-old daughter, who was asleep in one of the bedrooms.
"I noticed that the fire was coming from one of the bedrooms where my neighbour's daughter sleeps," Size explains.
"I rushed my neighbour's daughter to safety and then called the surrounding neighbours to come and help us stop the fire."
Banda's daughter managed to alert her parents, as well as the police and firefighters, during the ordeal.
Despite the valiant efforts of residents to extinguish the flames, the fire proved uncontrollable and ultimately engulfed the entire house.
Salvaged property has been temporarily stored outside Size's house.
Firefighters arrived on the scene after the house had already been consumed by the inferno, and it took them several hours to bring the blaze under control.
Officers from Kanengo Police Station arrived to investigate the incident and took statements from the victims, witnesses, and firefighters.
They also assisted in managing the crowd and protecting the salvaged property. Both the police and firefighters declined to provide interviews at this time.
As investigations into the cause of the fire continue, the affected family and community members are left to grapple with the devastating loss.
The local authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Wow 😳
My poor country