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Plumtree High inferno exposes fire brigade

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PROPERTY worth thousands of dollars went up in smoke as fire destroyed a double-storey hostel at Plumtree High School.

PROPERTY worth thousands of dollars went up in smoke as fire destroyed a double-storey hostel at Plumtree High School.

BY ALEXIS SIBANDA

Witnesses said the damage could have been minimised had Plumtree’s fire department been well-equipped to douse the inferno, which was eventually put out by firefighters from Bulawayo City Council.

Bulawayo chief fire officer, Richard Peterson confirmed the incident yesterday.

“I can confirm the incident, but our team is still preparing a report on the fire incident,” he said.

Bulawayo fire officer official, Edward Mpofu said his fire fighters arrived late at the scene and found the hostels already destroyed.

“The fire department in Plumtree is still investigating the cause of the fire and cost of the damage,” he said.

Plumtree acting town secretary, Elvis Maphosa was not reachable for comment.

The school, located in Mangwe district, Matabeleland South province, was built in 1902 by the Railway Mission to cater for children of the employees of the old Cape Government Railways working on the Cape-to-Cairo railway line between Mafeking and Bulawayo.