Fire gutted Kamenge market considered to be one of the busiest markets in Bujumbura in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Traders were left counting losses after a big part of the market went down in flames as fire fighters spent several hours trying to extinguish the fire.
“Ivestigation has been launched to figureout the cause of the fire that has destroyed two thirds of the market,” a statement read from Burundi’s minister of Internal Affairs.
As traders flocked the market in effort to save some of the commodities and products in the market, several government officials visited the market to comfort traders for the loss including the country’s Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni.
“We call on the public to remain calm as investigation has been launched and ask the officials to help make sure the market reopens,” said Mr. Bunyoni.
This is not the first time fire has razed markets in Bujumbura with the unpopular incident coming in 2013 when the Bujumbura central market went in flames, “I am really devastated with what has happened this shop is all I had now am left with nothing,” said one of the traders in Kamenge.
Currently the Kamenge market has been closed pending further investigation on the root cause of the fire, but many small traders are left in dilemma and left to think of new options for survival.