THE Kazungula Self-Help Project, commonly known as Kazungula Rest Stop Lodge, has been burned to ashes and property worth more than KI.7 million destroyed in the inferno.
The incident, that occurred on Monday afternoon as a result of bush fire, left the lodge owner Kwalombota Ikasaya, several Kazungula residents and onlookers in shock.
A check by ZANIS at the scene found fire fighters from Kazungula and Livingstone districts helping in removing some of the property from the building.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS, Mr Ikasaya, who was in a confused state, described the calamity as unfortunate.
Mr Ikasaya disclosed that the total expenditure of the building, including the property that got burnt, amounted to more than KI.7 million.
He said he was yet to brief his business partner, who is also the donor of the project, Philip Kirsh from the United States over what happened.
Mr Ikasaya said the fire could not be contained as a result of the weather pattern which was windy in the afternoon.
Kazungula District Commissioner Pascalina Musokotwane expressed her displeasure over what she termed ‘negligence’ on the part of the Kazungula District Council for failing to service the district fire tender which had so far been of no use in the district.
Ms Musokotwane noted with sadness that there had been several calamities in the district as a result of fire despite the district having the fire tender which was still new but it was not functioning.
She appealed to the Government to intervene in the matter, especially that so many projects were being undertaken in the district such as the construction of the multi-billion Kazungula Bridge project, among several others.
The district commissioner said that there was no way the district could not have a functioning fire tender and the local authority could remain mute without being active over the matter.
When contacted for a comment, Kazungula District Council secretary Winstone Kasonkomona, who was also present at the scene, said he could not say something as he was waiting for his officers from the fire department to compile a report of what had transpired. —ZANIS