Mojabeng Moalosi
The Ministry of health Headquarters building in Maseru was gutted by fire in the early hours of Thursday November 19, 2020, in an occurrence whose cause is still subject of investigations.
According to the ministry’s Principal Secretary Khothatso Tšooana, the fire started in the morning between 7 am and 8 am. They were in a meeting with the Minister of Health Motlatsi Maqelepo and other senior ministry officials when someone burst the boardroom door open, budged in and blurted that the building was on fire to which they vacated the boardroom immediately.
“Some of the employees said that they smelled the smoke and later on there was smoke coming from the room that is at the basement. We don’t yet know the cause of the fire but the experts are already here to stop the fire and immediately after that investigations will proceed and we will be able to know the cause of the fire.
“There is only one room that was affected by this fire. The room is used to store up refrigerators utilized medicinally to collect vaccines and some samples,” he told the media on the sidelines of the incident.
He indicated that he could not at the time, say how many items had been in there safe to say that as soon as investigations have been completed, a comprehensive report about items in the room as well as those damaged by the fire would b availed.
“I am not sure about the items that were in there and how much they cost, once the investigations are completed we will let people know all that information.
“Very fortunately the fire only caught one room, other offices are safe and all the employees are fine, including the cars and other properties. Lesotho Mounted Police service and Lesotho Defense Force team arrived on time and they managed to halt the fire.
Tšooana when addressing the ministry employees, encouraged them not to be petrified because everything was under control as he assured that the fire-fighting teams were working tirelessly to stop it.
“Everything is under control. You are all safe there is no need to be terrified. You can wait for announcements from your bosses while waiting outside the offices.
The employees who were standing at the basement watching the fire team doing their job were told to stand outside near the road that passes near Heath health headquarter waiting for any announcements.
This was not the first time that the building has been gutted by fire in recent times. ffff
