About 100 students at Hillside teachers’ college were on Friday left stranded after a fire gutted their dormitory.
It is suspected that the fire could have been caused by an electrical fault.
None of the students were injured in the incident but some lost property which could run into thousands of dollars.
The fire which started on the second floor of the Gwabalanda residence – which houses male students – at around 10 am when electricity came back.
Most of the students who stay in the dormitory were caught unawares as some were attending lectures while some were studying in their rooms.
Some of the students managed to remove their property on time while some who came late watched in horror as the fire reduced their property including laptops, books, and clothes, to ashes.
When a CITE news crew arrived at the scene, hundreds of students and staff members looked on as members of the Bulawayo fire brigade battled to control the blazing flames.
Acting Senior Division Officer, Josephat Chiriya said it was still too early for them to ascertain the cause of the fire.
“We are still investigating, as you can see the whole of the second floor has been burnt up to the ceiling. When we arrived in the morning the fire was at the centre of the building and it started from the western wing of the building before spreading to the other wing. We only managed to contain it when it had reached the other end,” said Chiriya.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) president Hurry Mudenda said some of the affected students were in their final year and were about to sit for their final examinations.
“All students who occupy the second floor were affected. Some of the students are final years students who are about to sit for their final year examinations and they have lost their computers, books, documents, and clothes,” said Mudenda.
Mudenda said they are yet to sit down with the school authorities and map the way forward for the affected students.
He added that the affected students will be moved to other hostels which have space.
