Nyanza-Lac : a fire devastates health district offices

All office equipment and archives could not be saved following a fire that occurred during the night from Monday to Tuesday in the offices of the health district of the Nyanza-Lac district in Makamba province (southern Burundi). Firefighters, soldiers and residents near the offices intervened to put out the fire and try to save at least the pharmacy in this health district.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

This fire which ravaged all the offices of the Nyanza-lac health district occurred the night of Monday to Tuesday around 11 p.m.

Several material damages were reported by the police.

According to the staff of this district, had it not been for the intervention of firefighters from the Makamba provincial police station, soldiers from Nyanza-Lac military barrack and residents of the surrounding area, even the stock of medicines in the district pharmacy would catch fire.

All four offices in this district were reduced to ashes by this fire, which is believed to be due to an electrical short circuit that broke out in the ceiling of the building.

All machines, archives and other documents not yet identified were burned.

“This fire is believed to be due to poor electrical installation,” as reported by some staff members of the Nyanza-Lac health district.

“Yet this problem had been reported, but nothing was done to protect these buildings,” lament employees of this health entity.

The fire started around 11 p.m. was brought under control around 3 a.m., according to sources on site.

The only fire vehicle from the Makamba provincial police station had to leave Makamba, more than 50 km from Nyanza-Lac, a distance considered too long to intervene quickly.

The police report that they are carrying out a final report of the damage.

The staff of this district say that assistance is needed to rehabilitate the offices and material equipment of this health structure for an immediate resumption of activities, because only the pharmacy remained intact.

————-

Part of the Nyanza-Lac health district destroyed by the fire, DR