BULAWAYO City Council has urged residents to understand proactive approaches to disaster risk management, aiming to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen community resilience.
This comes amid a spate of disasters that have resulted in loss of lives and the destruction of properties.
Bulawayo chief fire officer Mhlangano Moyo told Southern Eye that the city recently recorded the deaths of two artisanal miners, one injury and the destruction of three houses due to disasters.
“We urge those operating garages to be compliant. This week, two fuel tankers were destroyed and several cars damaged after a fire broke out at Blaze garage,” he said.
“Even though the fire was intense, we managed to prevent the destruction of more properties.
“The community must take precautions by not going close to such fire outbreaks because petrol is highly flammable.”
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Moyo urged garage operators to comply with the law, which stipulates that fuel should not be decanted at night.
Darkness necessitates lighting for such a job, which becomes dangerous.
He stated that they recorded an injury to a fuel truck driver this week, who was involved in an accident at a bridge in Mahatshula.
“We are in the process of finalising our operations.
“After a few days, we will have to temporarily close the Bulawayo-Harare Road, particularly in that section, to allow the sanitisation of the area, working with other stakeholders like Zera [Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority] and Ema [Environmental Management Authority].”
Moyo said the truck was carrying 40 000 litres of fuel en route to Harare, adding that they managed to salvage more than 35 000 litres.
“Last week, we were battling floods due to heavy rains that affected some parts of the city, including blown-off roofs at Sidojiwe Flats.
“In Mpopoma, Mzwananzi and Aisleby Primary School, infrastructure was damaged.”
He further stated that the two deaths happened in December and involved two artisanal miners following a mine shaft collapse in the Cement Side area of Umguza district, near Bulawayo.
Efforts to get a comment from Ema and Zera were unsuccessful before going to print last night, despite that both organisations had promised to respond.