Fire Guts About 20 Trading Structures at Kamwala, Police Say

A fire gutted approximately 20 makeshift trading structures at Kamwala Trading Area in Lusaka on Tuesday evening, the Zambia Police Service has confirmed, with no injuries reported.

Police said the fire broke out around 20:40 hours on 18 August behind Downtown Shopping Mall along the railway line. Kabwata Police Station received the report and dispatched officers to the scene, where they found several makeshift trading structures already gutted. Personnel from the Lusaka City Council Fire Brigade were also on hand and extinguished the blaze.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have started from a brazier left burning at a makeshift restaurant. Police have opened an inquiry file, and investigations are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances. The full extent of the damage and the value of property destroyed have not yet been established and will be determined following a detailed assessment.

Police Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chilabi urged traders operating from temporary structures to exercise extreme caution when using braziers and other sources of fire, and to ensure all fire sources are completely extinguished before leaving their trading areas.