Chakwera tours gutted Area 18 market

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, Lazarous Chakwera, who is also leader of the opposition in Parliament, on Friday toured Area 18 market in Lilongwe which was gutted with fire Thursday night. [caption id="attachment_94702" align="alignright" width="600"] Chakwera at the Area 18 market[/caption] [caption id="attachment_94701" align="alignright" width="599"] A woman weeps in the rubble of her destroyed shop.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_94703" align="alignright" width="600"] Chakwera touring gutted Area 18 market[/caption] The market is 200m away from filling station, Escom had to cut off power to the area to avoid fire spreading to other property. In a sombre mood, Chakwera said he was gravely concerned over the gutting of the market and a spate of fire gutting public places in the country. "There is need to find lasting solutions to these fires," said Chakwera. Chakwera was accompanied by MCP’s Central Region Chairman Patrick Chilondola and members of parliament. MCP supporters also flocked to the market and chanted songs praising Chakwera as the “real leader”. Briefing the MCP leader on the tragedy, chairperson of the Area 18 market Benard Gama said the market has lost more than K100 million wealth of goods. Gama commended Chakwera for swiftly coming to see for himself the tragedy that has happened in the area, saying that is “a mark of a leader”. Chakwera has since pledged to assist the victims at the market in one way or another but called on government to open the public purse to give relief package to the affected traders. Escom and Lilongwe City Council fire department are yet to disclosecause of fire which started in a hardware shop.