Kitwe: Over 27 stalls reportedly gutted by fire at Chamboli Market

More than 27 stalls were reportedly destroyed when a fire swept through Kitwe’s Chamboli Market in the early hours of Saturday, leaving traders counting heavy losses.

According to the Kitwe City Council, the fire started around 00:38 and affected two permanent shops and 25 makeshift stalls, both inside and outside the market.

Fire brigades from Kitwe City Council and Mopani Copper Mines battled to extinguish the blaze.

Council Public Relations Manager, Mwaka Nakweti, said preliminary investigations indicate that the inferno was caused by an electrical short circuit.

“Upon arrival at the scene, the fire brigades managed to suppress and extinguish the fire using two deliveries with four lengths of hose, drawing water from the onboard tanks of the fire engines present,” she said.

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Goods destroyed include assorted electronics, a groundnut grinding machine, bags of groundnuts, and other goods from makeshift stalls.

The total value of the property lost has not yet been established.

Nakweti added that officers from Wusakile Police

Station, led by the Deputy Officer Commanding from Kitwe Police Headquarters, Justine Mwiinga, were on site to maintain order and support investigations.

She said the Kitwe City Council remains committed to safeguarding market facilities and will issue further updates as investigations advance.