Mozambique - Mabalane Station burns

[John Ashworth]

MOZAMBIQUE STATION BURNS

Posted on 21 May 2009 by Railways Africa Editor

On 13 May, fire destroyed the roof of the station at Mabalane, on the Maputo-Zimbabwe line in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza. According to the Maputo daily “Noticias”, it is believed that the fire was started by a kerosene lamp, “left burning by one of the station workers near a place where there was a petrol container.” Documents to do with train control were burned, as well as money.

Staionmaster Jose Mondlane told reporters that one of the main difficulties fighting the fire was the shortage of water. “Aid to douse the flames only came about an hour later, using trucks to fetch water from the Limpopo River, about five kilometres away.
Resident volunteers helped rescue some of the documents, and fire extinguishers lent by the local health centre proved useful, preventing the flames from spreading to other buildings.

No casualties were reported and the damage did not affect train operations. ”Besides the shortage of water, Mabalane has also been without electricity since February, because of serious damage to the station’s generator,” the newspaper added.