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Government gives K13.5m to Mzimba Market fire victims

Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has given K13.5 million (about $ 21,436) to 437 vendors as consolation for losing their goods to a fire that gutted Vigwagwa Market at Mzimba Boma in October this year.

The fire that burnt the market, damaged goods worth K250 million (about $ 396,976). The incident occurred barely 24 hours after a similar incident in Mzuzu where part of the city’s main market and some commercial buildings were gutted down.

Mzimba-Market
Mzimba Market pictured after being burnt down by a fire

Speaking during a visit to the district on Tuesday, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, expressed government’s sadness over the numerous fire tragedies that have hit the country and Mzimba in particular, in the recent past.

He said it was for this reason that the State President decided to console the affected vendors in the district. He said the gesture was also to make them feel government was equally concerned about the fire incident.

Said Nankhumwa: “Government saw the importance of consoling the vendors today because we understand they are undergoing a difficult patch, we feel this can help in some way.”

He informed the vendors and local civil servants that government was currently in the process of purchasing fire engines to ensure that fire incidents are dealt in a timely fashion.

The minister further advised vendors to construct fire-proof structures to curb fire incidents in the country. He said such structures would also attract investors in the name of insurance brokers to come and invest for the sake of the vendor.

Speaking on behalf of the vendors, Mzimba Boma Vigwagwa Market chairperson Albert Chisiza, thanked government for the gesture, saying the fire incident left the vendors with nothing to do.

He promised to share the consolation money fairly among the vendors who were affected by the fire.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of various fire incidents that have damaged goods worth billions across the country’s markets in the recent past including that in Mzimba District. n

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