A fire that broke out at Luato Market in Kalulushi on Monday night has been brought under control, with approximately 50 market stands completely gutted.
Kalulushi Municipal Council Public Relations Officer Tamara Jacob said the Council received a distress call reporting an inferno at the market at 20:26 hours on 13th July 2026.
Ms. Jacob said the Council’s Fire Brigade responded immediately and departed for the scene at 20:27 hours.
She said upon arrival, the Fire Brigade swiftly commenced firefighting operations and successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading further.
Ms. Jacob said preliminary reports indicate that about 50 market stands were completely destroyed by the fire.
She said the suspected cause of the fire is a brazier that was left unattended, and that further assessments are underway to establish the full extent of the damage.
Ms. Jacob commended the prompt response of the Fire Brigade and appreciated the cooperation of traders and members of the public during the emergency.
Ms. Jacob further appealed to residents and business owners to report any fire-related incidents immediately to the Fire Brigade.
She said prompt reporting enables emergency responders to arrive in good time, helping to save lives and minimise damage to property.
She also encouraged traders and members of the public to observe fire safety measures at all times by ensuring that braziers and other sources of open fire are properly extinguished and never left unattended.
By Respite Kaoma
