An electrical fault is suspected to have caused a fire at Cowdray Park Hospital in Bulawayo on Wednesday night, leaving a woman with burns and four children suffering from smoke inhalation.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mhlangano Moyo said the fire broke out at about 9.20pm in the sitting room of a four-room semi-detached residential house at the hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire started at an electrical plug behind a sofa before spreading to other parts of the sitting room.
“The Brigade noted that the fire emanated from the plug behind the sofas and later ignited the sofa that was close to it. The fire propagated to other areas within the sitting room,” Moyo said.
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Three fire engines and two ambulances were dispatched to the scene, arriving at 9.33pm.
“One adult woman had sustained burns on her left shoulder, while four children had inhaled smoke. The fire was restricted into the sitting room,” Moyo said.
Hospital staff alerted the fire brigade after noticing thick smoke coming from the house, while a security guard helped the family escape by breaking the windows.
Firefighters conducted a search and rescue operation to establish how many people were inside and assess those injured before they were taken to hospital.
Moyo said investigators examined the suspected point of ignition and the materials first affected by the fire. Other possible causes, including unattended heating or cooking appliances, open flames, smoking materials and candles, were ruled out during preliminary investigations.
The fire brigade estimated the property’s value at ZW$150,000, with damage estimated at ZW$15,000 and property worth ZW$135,000 saved.
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