Blantyre City Council has expressed concern over the conduct of some unidentified Ndirande residents who stoned the council’s firefighting crew and injured one of the officers on Sunday night during the inferno which gutted Ndirande Market..

In a statement released by the council and signed by its  Chief Executive Officer Denis Chinseu, described the behavior as retrogressive and has since appealed to residents of the location to desist from such barbaric acts.

“This is not the first time for the firefighting crew to be stoned in Ndirande. The council may decide to withdraw response efforts if the Ndirande neighbourhood continues displaying hostility towards our firefighting and rescue operations officers,” warned Chinseu.

On Sunday night, a fire gutted part of the Ndirande Main Market and caused significant damage to property worth millions.

However, Authorities are still investigating the cause of the inferno.