BULAWAYO – A fire gutted the doctor’s quarters at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo on Saturday, destroying property worth thousands of dollars.

Firefighters were called to Zimbabwe’s second biggest referral hospital at around 2.30PM after fire was detected.

The fire raged through a double storey building housing doctors and also destroyed a ground floor bar.

The Fire Brigade first responded with one fire truck which was “just inadequate for the task”, said a hospital employee at the scene.

By the time two other trucks arrived, the roof had curved in and there was no property to save.

Inadequate … The Fire Brigade initially sent out one engine
Last drinks … The fire also swept through a bar which is in the same building as the doctors’ residence

Mpilo Medical Director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said no-one was injured in the incident, which is now under investigation by the police and Fire Brigade.

“We had a terrible fire this afternoon which has caused substantial damage to one of our buildings, which is the residence of about eight of our doctors,” Dr Ngwenya said by phone.

“The cause of the fire is unknown at this time but we have the police and fire department on the ground. It’s desperately sad for us because