Fire guts Kalikuti Hotel in Malawi’s capital city

A month or weeks will hardly pass without hearing of a fire accident in Lilongwe or elsewhere! Black smoke billowed above the capital late Friday night as fire tore through the Kalikuti Hotel, causing major damage but no injuries or deaths, Nyasa Times has the details.

In ashes- the front view of the Kalikuti hotel
In ashes- the front view of the Kalikuti hotel
The corridor leading to the reception
The corridor leading to the reception
Lilongwe City Fire Engine could not contain the fire
Lilongwe City Fire Engine could not contain the fire
Fire guts Kalikuti Hotel as people watch
Fire guts Kalikuti Hotel as people watch
Fire everywhere- The backside of the hotel
Fire everywhere- The backside of the hotel

The fire started at around 11pm on Friday , October 31 and by midnight, everything on the hotel’s northern wing, which comprise the reception, conference halls, restaurant, bar and other facilities had been destroyed.

More than two-dozen residents escaped with their lives — but none of their possessions — after the hotel was destroyed by fire.

Guests had to scramble from their beds and leave the smoke-filled hotel . The building was safely evacuated

At the time of filing the story, a team of fire extinguishers from Lilongwe City Council was still trying to limit the damage but the team’s efforts were proving too little too late as the fire was just too strong to be contained.

The fire brigade is now making sure the fire does not spread to the southern wing, where rooms are situated. This is the only area that has so far not been affected by the fire and guests were transferred to Crossroads Hotel.

The hotel staff and owners are also trying to pull out some stuff from the unaffected area and police officers are all over to ensure safety of the remaining property.

The cause of the fire is not known as of yet but reports suggest the fire started from the kitchen.

No death or injury has been reported but it is clear goods worth millions of Kwachas have been destroyed.

This is a second fire incident in Lilongwe city in less than 10 days following the fire that gutted one of the units for wooden furniture at Mchesi, destroying property worth over K38 million.

The Mchesi fire is believed to have been caused by Hindu members, who were cracking fireworks during Diwali celebrations.

President Peter Peter Mutharika instituted a ministerial committee to look into the occurrences of fire incidents and come up with lasting solutions to the problem.

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ismail. chipala
ismail. chipala
9 years ago

Koma ku Malawi ndiye kwafikako moto basi

moses
9 years ago

kenako mudzamva kuti Malawi yese way aka moto.

Ulesi ndi minyama, Cashgate ndi ugalu
Ulesi ndi minyama, Cashgate ndi ugalu
9 years ago

Much as arson could be to blame for these fires, it is only appropriate and lateral to ask those entrusted with authority in our country to call to scrutiny organisations responsible for guaranteeing quality standards to account for some of these incidences. I am of a strong view point that these fires are largely as a result of use of substandard materials. Malawi Bureau of Standards need to put their foot down and only allow materials that meet international and our own national standards to be sold within the Malawi territory. CAMA must wake up and sensitise the public of… Read more »

Munthu wa Mulungu
Munthu wa Mulungu
9 years ago

Fire after fire. Next time we will hear about State House being on fire. Tsopano zayamba kudabwitsa. Should we say another meaning of DPP is fire?

Blessings
9 years ago

Koma maloose akura kumeneko eti mpaka kuocha kut mulandile insurance….ok…dont worry after 5years i will stand as canddent…i will malawi abetter place to lve ok.

jimy chigumula
9 years ago

ngozi ndi ngozi zimachitika tizingo samala moto wamangetsi,tisamaiwale ku zimitsa ma soketi kaya makuka mwinaso ailoni.tisamasunge mafuta amagalimoto mu room ife alendo.

nkuzi wadumuka
nkuzi wadumuka
9 years ago

koma tilidi ndi anthu odziwa kuzimitsa moto wantundu umenewu? kapena amadziwa kuzimitsa wobutsa ana osaka mbewa?

osaweta jj
osaweta jj
9 years ago

what is happening with our peaceful nation? God have mercy.

Kalulu
Kalulu
9 years ago

In Malawi we are missing opportunities of being innovative – engineers your annual meetings will not be useless if you do not solve these things? Advise those building on how to be fire proof? Electricians wiring our homes could be arsonists? Are you sleeping when your brains suffered much at Poly? TV bring innovative programs the same as music talents where people could share solutions to challenges with tangible presentations. People or country could use that. But where everyone wants easy money like CASHGATE thinking is suspended.

Enoch
Enoch
9 years ago

zimenezi ndiye ndizoipitsitsa zedi. kwina ndi kuba tsopano coz zoterezi zaka za m’mbuyomu kunalibe izi, tinene kuti kunalibe anthu osasamala zinthu zoyambitsa moto ngati lero! mmmmm something must be done as soon as possible to stop this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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