A fire broke out at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare on Saturday, damaging a storeroom that housed some records.
The storeroom is located above the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit at the facility, also known as Harare Central Hospital or Gomo Hospital.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident, saying no injuries or fatalities were reported. In a statement posted on the ZRP’s official X page, the police said:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed a fire incident that occurred at Sally Mugabe Hospital today at around 1150 hours.
Emergency protocols were swiftly activated and all patients in the affected areas were evacuated. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Harare City Council, Moses Bvumavaranda, told ZBC News that the blaze was successfully contained before it could spread further. He said:
We received a fire report this morning and reacted swiftly. Within seven minutes, our team was already on the ground.
That’s when we discovered the fire was quite serious, but we managed to extinguish it before it could spread further.
Harare Mayor, His Worship Councillor Jacob Mafume, visited the hospital and addressed the media regarding the fire incident. Said Mafume:
We are currently at one of the buildings within the hospital, specifically on the rooftop. This location has been used as a storage area for institutional records, of which, according to law, all public institutions must keep permanently.
These records were placed near or under solar panels about ten panels in total. Some of the records were also stored in the lab.
Civil Protection Department Chief Director, Nathan Nkomo, said the government remains committed to providing assistance. He said:
What we do first is to write a report and present it to Cabinet because it is the highest decision entity.
Upon getting the response, we’ll act, and it will be soon as you are aware that we have a listening President.
Preliminary reports indicate that the fire may have been triggered by a fault in the solar power system. Authorities say investigations are still ongoing.
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