Harare Hospital Rooftop Fire Contained
A fire that broke out this afternoon on the rooftop of Harare Hospital has been successfully contained, Mayor of Harare Jacob Mafume has confirmed.
Speaking at the scene, Mafume explained that the fire started on the rooftop of one of the hospital buildings, where archived records were stored in line with legal requirements.
The roof also housed about 10 solar panels that powered the laboratory.
“A fire broke out and the fire then spread quickly because of the documentations, the paper and other equipment that was being stored here,” Mafume said.
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“They phoned the fire brigade which responded within seven minutes of the call and managed to take about 30 to 40 minutes to contain the fire and avoid it spreading to other departments.”
The rooftop is directly above the intensive care unit and the A1 unit, which accommodates patients with fractures and those requiring surgery.
Mafume confirmed that all patients were evacuated and power was temporarily switched off to prevent the fire from spreading further.
“We are happy to say that the fire has been contained,” he said. “The damage has only been to the records and the solar panels that were there.”
Mafume praised the swift response of the fire brigade and the hospital staff for preventing what he described as a potential “monumental disaster.”
He also highlighted the importance of fire preparedness, especially during winter.
“We urge the public and members of all institutions to institute fire drills and ensure their firefighting equipment is up to task so that fires do not engulf critical government institutions,” he said.
Authorities will now focus on cleaning up the site and investigating the source of the fire to prevent similar incidents in the future.
