Information sourced by Faceofmalawi indicates that books worth MK500 million have been destroyed in the fire that gutted down Mzuzu University (Mzuni) Library in the Northern City of Mzuzu.

Mzuni Vice Chancellor Robert Ridley confirmed of the development in an interview with the press on Saturday, saying about 45, 000 books and computers have been destroyed by the inferno which the cause is yet to be established.

The fierce fire gutted down Mzuzu University Library on the wee hours of Friday- the closing day of the university’s first semester.

Speaking after visiting the gutted library on Saturday, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Emmanuel Fabiano described the development as shocking.

Fabiano said the fire has caused a big loss both to Mzuzu University and its surrounding community.

He said rebuilding the library structure and replacing the resources which were inside the library building were the two important aspects to which stakeholders needed to find long and short- term measures.

“Facts are clear that books have been damaged and that information has been destroyed. Some of this information can be replaced while the other cannot,” said the minister, assuring that government would see to it that the library is restored.

However, he advised the university management to make plans on how the library could be restored and students’ resources be replaced, as a short term measure, to assist students in their studies.