Barely weeks after fierce fire raised down part of Lilongwe Standard bank, reports reaching FaceofMalawi indicates that another fire has razed down some Mchesi furniture shops in Lilongwe on Thursday night destroying furniture and materials worth millions of kwacha.
According to Secretary for Mchesi Furniture and Welding Business Community, Geoffrey Kubwalo , the fire started at around 23:00 hours and it was allegedly caused by fire crackers blown by Asian businessmen who were partying next door.
“I got a call at 11:29 pm that the shops were on fire and when I rushed here, a found that a lot of furniture and materials had been destroyed.
“I understand that the Asians next to these shops were having a party, throwing fire crackers in the air and the cracking fire landed on the heap of cotton here causing the shops to go up in flames”, he said.
Kubwalo was not clear on the monetary value of the goods destroyed, saying he needed time but he said the number of shops could be more than twenty.
Infuriated by the incident, the shop owners closed the Mchesi Road with furniture that was not affected by the fire from the other side causing cars from both ends to turn back.
But the unrest did not last long after the grieved shop owners calmed each other down and agreed to find alternative way to voice out their grief.
Since President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika ascended to the high office on May 20 the country has experienced a sharp increase in fire incidences as well as crime, thereby putting business captains in the country under intense pressure.
