MALAWI: Three die as restaurant collapses

Three people died on the spot when a restaurant collapsed in Malawi's commercial city of Blantyre. The dead include the owner of the KIPS Restaurant, Shafik Giga. The building was undergoing some renovations before it crumbled. Eye witnesses said the accident, which occurred at 10am on Tuesday, was caused by heavy weight due to extra extensions. The structure was earmarked for demolition 15 years ago under the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda's era under the 'Red Star Campaign' aimed at cleaning the city and fortifying old buildings. It was constructed in the 1950s and was one of the oldest standing of the colonial era infrastructure in the city. Sixteen people, including a journalist for a local newspaper, were treated as outpatients, and 18 were admitted at the main referral Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. Giga's son was also admitted alongside others at the private ultra-modern Mwaiwathu Hospital in the same city. Meanwhile, Blantyre City Council Chief Executive Ted Nandolo has warned landlords to immediately renovate or rebuild their business buildings or forfeit the premises. The council has been jogged to push for the implementation of the ‘Red Star’ campaign. The campaign aims to get rid of buildings that have overstayed to mitigate accidents and bring a face-lift to the city. “It’s high time we start implementing the red star campaign to avoid such kind of accidents,” Nandolo said. This means that if implemented several buildings belonging to Asians plying their businesses in Malawi will be wiped out from the face of major cities especially Lilongwe and Blantyre. Residents so far have called for an inquiry and investigations as to how the building which was supposed to have been pulled down decades ago was still standing and undergoing renovations in the first place. "Our government and city council officials are very corrupt. Indians give them money so that they cannot inspect or implement demolition of such sub-standard buildings. We are dying because of corruption here," said an eyewitness. Source: Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi < Prev   Next >