ESCOM non-committal on compensation for Mzimba market fire victims
Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM) Tuesday expressed its non-commitment on whether or not it will compensate victims of fire that gutted Mzimba market Sunday morning, allegedly said to have been sparked by an ESCOM fault.
Goods and property worth K800 million are said to have been lost in the inferno, according to M’belwa Council district Commissioner Thomas Chirwa.
ESCOM public relations officer Kitty Chingota told local press that claims that they were responsible for the fire were just speculations.
“We’re still waiting for a comprehensive report from relevant authorities on the genuine cause of the fire,” said Chingota. “It is only after that that I could comment on whether we will compensate the victims or not.”
Chirwa had Monday called on ESCOM to bail out the victims.
“The fire is said to have started because of a spark from an ESCOM power line. I, therefore, urge ESCOM to look into the issue and pay out compensations where possible,” Chirwa had said.
Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) through its director of national campaign Jappie Mhango pledged government would bail out business people who lost their property and goods in the fire.
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What’s in a name? Too many flames of fire.May be it is high time we reverted to our. old name Nyasaland!!!!!!!
What’s going on
Commissioner Thomas Chirwa should think before he shoots of his mouth. Even if sparks from an electricity pole did start the fire it does not follow that Escom is responsible. For example, it may be found that a dangerous, illegal connection was made at the pole. Another factor to be considered is that the original fire from the alleged sparks would have started off very small, and only became an inferno due to incompetence on the part of the authorities. This would be because there were no fire prevention or fire fighting precautions taken, such as prohibiting the storage of… Read more »
Malawi on fire ( every where) komangati chili chilango chikupita kwa olakwika
Apa nde ESCOM musowa kothawira.
ESCOM. Govt.politicians pliz stop giving compasatiions to these people with immediate effect. people whose businesses are collapsng start a fire deliberately looking for a grant in form of compasation. the more you show sympathy to these people the more aggressive they become in starting market fires. pliz I BEG STOP EEEEEEE STOP.
We will stop paying bills
U get disconnected. Its a no win situation