Kariba flats situated on Magoya Road in Kalulushi town centre caught fire in the early hours of yesterday.
Kalulushi Municipal Council public relations officer Kangwa Muma said the fire started around 02:00 hours and was put out by a combined team of Copperbelt Energy Corporation, Kitwe and Kalulushi fire brigades.
Mr Muma said the cause of the fire was not yet established but suspected that there could have been an electrical fault in one of the kitchens.
He said all the eight families from the flat were affected by the inferno.
One of the victims, Jack Hanzuki was chocked around 01:30 hours and when he checked the house, he found the kitchen ceiling board on fire.
“After discovering that my unit was on fire I went out screaming for help and banging on my neighbours’ doors so that they could assist me.
“My neighbours got out and some went to call the fire brigade but the response was very poor because by the time they got here the fire had spread all over the top units of the flats,” Mr Hanzuki said.
Another resident, Sammy Chimfwembe said he was in bed when he heard a bang and woke up only to find that the block of flats was on fire.
He was equally disappointed with the response of the fire brigade because by the time they arrived at the scene, the fire had spread.
Inferno guts Kalulushi flats
SEVERAL families in Kalulushi have been left homeless after a block of flats they live in caught fire and destroyed household property.