By Praisemore Sithole | NewsDay |
Half a million dollars worth of property was destroyed by fire on Tuesday when a couple at a house in Hillside in Bulawayo had a heated quarrel, culminating in the wife setting the property alight.
This was confirmed by Bulawayo Fire Brigade acting chief fire officer Linos Phiri yesterday, who told Southern Eye that when the fire fighters arrived at the scene, the fire was raging and the roof of the house had already collapsed.
“The fire could be seen from as far as Matopo Road. It was spreading from the front of the building to the back and the roof structure had collapsed and almost all rooms were on fire,” Phiri said.
Phiri said a 5kg gas cylinder was recovered at the scene.
He said there were no injuries, adding that the estimated property loss was valued at $500 000.
Witnesses said the couple, only identified as Chirisas, had a long standing dispute which resulted in the wife torching the husband’s clothes and other valuables.
The husband (Chirisa) confirmed that he had a dispute with his wife identified as Mildred Goba, saying this led her to burn valuables, among them clothes and sofas.
He said it was suspected that the fire was ignited when Chirisa left for the police station.
Phiri said a witness, Bongani Ngwenya, who lived in the same house told them that she saw Chirisa and Goba fighting, with the latter burning valuables.
