The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) suspects it is being targeted through arson attacks after a second fire incident this week at its premises.
NRZ board chairperson Advocate Mike Madiro said this after the parastatal experienced two fires at its premises in Bulawayo and Harare on Monday and Wednesday.
Advocate Madiro disclosed:
“The NRZ has, over the course of the week, experienced a spat of fire outbreaks at its premises, which appear to be coordinated arson attacks. The first fire broke out on Monday at the NRZ Mechanical workshops in Bulawayo, destroying 44 decommissioned passenger coaches.
“The second incident took place on Wednesday at the shunters complex in Harare where three coaches have been torched. We strongly suspect that these incidents are a result of foul play.”
Masiro said the NRZ and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have since launched an investigation to probe the fire incidents. He also warned the suspected “saboteurs” that the long arm of the law would catch up with them.
On Monday, the NRZ initially suspected that someone had tossed a cigarette that ignited the raging inferno, which destroyed 44 passenger coaches. Tho casualties were reported.
NRZ spokesperson Andrew Kunambura said the coaches were awaiting disposal as scrap metal, and the company had initiated the process.
The Monday fire incident reduced the 44 passenger coaches to smoulders, and it took the Bulawayo Fire Brigade four hours to put out the blaze.
The firefighters’ six fire tenders were not enough to extinguish the inferno, and the Bulawayo Fire Brigade ended up connecting the NRZ borehole system and getting Bulawayo City Council water browsers to help put out the flames.
