Fire guts MTL building in Thyolo
Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) Offices in Thyolo were on Wednesday gutted down by fire, burning to ashes property worth millions of kwacha.
According to MTL Head of Operations, Fredrick Mswayo, the fire started at around 12:00 noon on Wednesday and destroyed almost all communication equipment inside the building including data and voice gadgets.
Nswayo could not divulge the actual monetary value of the equipment but only said they are worth millions.
“The property burnt is worth millions of kwacha, I can’t say exactly how worth was all the equipment in the building. That is yet to be established,” he said.
At the time of compiling this piece, the main cause of the fire had not yet been established. However an eye witnesses who saw the fire starting believed it was an electrical fault.
“There was blackout in the morning, and at this time the building was using its generator. Immediately after the Escom power was back, we saw the smoke on the roof of the building,” said the source who could not disclose his name.
When Mana later visited the scene, all property inside the building, including computers and all the equipment had been burnt down.
The fire brigade team from Blantyre arrived at the scene of accident too late to rescue the building and its equipment as the fire had already done much damage.
Currently, MTL voice and internet network in the district and its neighbouring areas has been affected as the building was a network hub that provided network services in the lower Shire, Mulanje and Phalombe.
