Magaba fire damage estimated at about US$20 000

THE damage caused by the fire that broke out at Magaba in Mbare last week is estimated at between US$16 000 and US$20 000.

In an interview, Harare City Council’s SMEs committee chair, Councillor Denford Ngadziore, said the committee is going to record that before it takes the issue to full council.

“And when the time comes, we might consider compensation,” he said.

Clr Ngadziore said the committee would meet next week to come up with measures such as finalisation of the lease agreements for Magaba and replanning that includes putting in fire hydrants and other things to avoid recurrence.

“We want to ensure that people selling flammables such as thinners and paint do so separately from others, and that a code of conduct is put in place,” he said.

“We suspect that the fire might have been caused by someone who was smoking and dropped a stub, resulting in the fire.

“So the code of conduct is supposed to include such cases so that we avoid such dangers.

Cllr Ngadziore said the SMEs committee visited Magaba to see what had happened.

“The fire brigade managed to contain the fire,” he said.-herald