Farm produce and farming inputs worth millions of Kwacha have been burnt to ashes in an inferno at New Kapiri-Mposhi Market in circumstances the local authorities have said point to foul play.
The inferno which started around midnight on Wednesday burnt down the entire depot where farmers and marketeers stored their merchandise.
Kapiri-Mposhi District council secretary, Venture Kafula confirmed the incident and said he suspected the fire was ignited by some unknown people.
The value of gutted items had not yet been established, but they included fertiliser and farm produce such as maize and groundnuts.
The council fire brigade and some marketeers who arrived at the market about 30 minutes after the start of the fire managed to salvage part of their goods.
Mr Kafula said the fire was only put out around 02:00 hours with help from the Kabwe City Council fire brigade.
He said the local fire team could not extinguish the inferno because it did not have a fire tender.
Mr Kafula said the fire brigade from Kabwe arrived after much of the market had been gutted.
He said the council had been facing a challenge in responding to fires from the time its fire engine was involved in a road traffic accident.
Mr Kafula, who disclosed that plans were underway to buy a new fire tender, said currently the Kapiri Mposhi council relied on Kabwe City Council whenever there was a fire in the district.
[ ZANIS ]
Shame on Rupiah Banda for using the money to buy a fire engine on his useless international and local trips he shall perish too.