Tanzania: Man Dies of Shock After Fire Razes Property

By Edward Qorro in Arusha

ONE person fainted and died in shock after discovering that his properties had all been reduced to

ashes in the late afternoon inferno that razed stalls at Arusha's Samunge Market on Saturday.

Mr James Temba was pronounced dead after arriving at Mt Meru Regional Hospital where he had been rushed.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire that destroyed an unknown number of structures started in the middle section of the city's popular market before spreading to other areas causing serious damage.

"We called the police the moment the fire broke out. When they arrived here everything had been razed to the ground," narrated Mr Freddy Mwita, who lost goods worth hundreds of shillings in the inferno.

As fire-fighters battled with the fire on Saturday afternoon, businesspeople could be seen searching through the debris for property they could save. Ms Anitha Jackson, another trader at Samunge Market, struggled to explain the huge loss she incurred as a result of the fire.

According to Ms Jackson, she had secured a loan last year, hoping to repay it this year through her business at the market. "Now all that we've invested has been razed to the ground... what saddens us most is to see that one of our friends has fainted and died of shock for losing his property," said the tearful trader.

Arusha District Commissioner Gabriel Daqarro appealed for calm as the government was planning to compensate traders whose goods had been consumed by the fire.

"A special team has been tasked to evaluate each stall with a view to establishing the loss and compensation estimates," revealed the DC.

For his part, Acting Regional Police Commander Koka Moita said there were no casualties reported in the incident that had left dozens of traders confounded.

"Most of the stalls have been built using wood and iron sheets and that explains how fast the fire spread," he observed.

According to Mr Moita, investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.