BULAWAYO – Traders are counting their losses after a fire gutted a popular flea market in the centre of Bulawayo on Thursday night.

Unity Village, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Joshua Mqabuko Street, caught fire at around 8.45PM.

Fire fighters were on the scene within minutes with three fire engines and managed to put out the flames by 10PM.

An investigation was still underway on Friday to establish what caused the fire, although suspicion had quickly fallen on a kitchen which sells traditional food. Arson was also feared.

Bulawayo’s chief fire officer Richard Peterson said they had not made any conclusions.

Dozens of traders rushed to the scene hoping to rescue what they could, but police had taken over guard duties to allow the Bulawayo Fire Brigade to carry out its investigations.

Nothing to save … By the time the fire was put out, it had done massive damage

At sunrise on Friday, the true extent of the damage became all too depressingly clear – piles upon piles of wares turned to black soot.

Traders at the market sell a wide range of wares – from clothing, accessories through to electronic gadgets. When the market closes, they lock-up their wares in their stalls. The premises are guarded by security guards.

Loss … Market traders arriving at the scene of the fire after fire fighters doused the fire on Thursday night

Thabani Moyo, who sells trainers and shoes at Unity Village, said he had lost everything to the fire.

“I just returned from restocking in Botswana, and the fire just took everything from me. It’s a massive loss, made worse by the fact that we don’t have insurance here, so there is nothing to recover,” he said, dejectedly.