Escom blames owners for shop fire: ‘Substandard wiring of Dreamfoam Mattress shop’

Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has blamed owners of Dreamfoam Mattress shop in Blantyre for the fire that gutted down the shop on Tuesday afternoon.

The shop which is situated along Haile Sellasie road in the town of Blantyre, caught fire which razed property worth thousands of Kwachas.

Escom officials were called in to help put out the fire, and have since commenced investigations.

But a statement issued soon after incident, Escom revealed the fire was as a result of meter bypass and substandard wiring.

Escom has since warned of unspecified action against owners of the shop and building.

”Meter bypass and substandard wiring of the Dreamfoam Shop along Haile Sellasie road in Blantyre caused the building to catch fire during the morning hours of Tuesday 5th April 2016,” reads the statement in part.

Preliminary findings by Escom’s engineers revealed that the supply system to the shop had been tampered with by using numerous jumpers to tap electricity from different ends.

Meter tampering or bypass is an offense punishable by law as stipulated in the Electricity Act no 22 of 2004 Section 45(2b).

”ESCOM is yet to mete out appropriate penalties upon conclusion of the investigations,” adds the statement.

Meanwhile armed police officers are guarding the shop in fear of possible looting of what was saved from the fire.

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