A container that serves as a storeroom for Peoples Fast Save shop in Area 3, Lilongwe on Wednesday caught fire resulting in the destruction of metal tools used for making shelves.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) at the scene, Stores Clerk Felix Emmanuel said that it was in the morning of Wednesday when some employees at the shop saw smoke coming out from the other side of the container.

“When we opened the storeroom, we saw that the metal materials were up in flames,” Emmanuel said.

A fire that was lit the previous day to kill bees underneath the container is said to have been left unattended, resulting in the inferno the following morning, according to Emmanuel.

Some workers from the shop rushed to the Department of Fire at Lilongwe City Council to report about the incident.

Senior Fire fighter for Lilongwe City Council, Hendrix Mulakwanji, told Mana that they rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the report.

“We managed to contain the fire within 20 minutes but extensive damage had already been done,” Mulakwanji said.

He observed that delay in reporting the incident was the reason why most of the items in the storeroom were damaged.

Mulakwanji then urged people to report fire incidents immediately after they break out by using toll free numbers.

“Reporting in good time helps us to save most of the properties and even lives of people endangered by any break out of fire,” he said.

Officials at the shop are yet to establish the total value of property damaged.

Source: Mana