PH
Windhoek – A stall owner at a Namibian market died following a fire that destroyed his goods last Tuesday, local newspaper New Era reports.
The deceased, Isak Kambonde, suffered a stroke shortly after the blaze, which burnt his stall and goods to ashes.
Kambonde was one of 93 owners at the Omatara open market in Tsumeb who lost their business due to the fire, which was believed to have started as a result of an electrical fault.
Eye witnesses disclosed that Kambonde tried in vain to salvage his goods from the fire, following which he suffered from a stroke and was rushed to the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital for treatment. He died shortly after.
He is survived by his wife and three children.
Archie Benjamin, CEO of the Tsumeb municipality, said a technical team was investigating the matter to ascertain the cause of the blaze.
“At the moment we don’t know what really caused the fire, but we are suspecting there might have been a fault in the electrical line,” Benjamin said.
Stall owners lost fridges, food and other valuables in the fire.
