*Midlands Hotel gutted by fire* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaD22E27YScxhpM8Re26 Story by Tafara Chikumira GWERU – The Midlands Hotel in Gweru was gutted by fire which destroyed property and reduced a room to ashes Friday evening. The fire has left a trail of destruction at the facility, although no injuries or fatalities were recorded. Preliminary investigations by the fire fighting department point to an electrical fault as the cause of the fire. “When we got an SOS about the fire around 7pm we managed to rush to the scene. We had to use our ladders to climb to the first floor since the doors to the stairs were locked. We had to break the ceiling to contain the fire since it was already spreading. All the goods including the beds and the clothing for the tenants were burnt by the fire. We however managed to contain it before it had spread further. Our investigations so far point to a water heating kettle which we suspect to have been left on and led to the fire outbreak,” said Gweru City Council chief fire officer, Mr Felix Muguti. Tenants who spoke ZBC News praised the timely intervention of the fire brigade team. “I am a tenant here. The whole incident really got me worried. I was afraid of my possessions but I am happy the fire was timely dealt with. Had it not been for the swift reaction of the team we could be telling a different story now. I am happy we now have systems in place to deal with eventualities,” said a tenant. “All I can say is that for a moment I got so frightened but I am ok now that the fire was dealt with,” noted another. Meanwhile, the Civil Protection Department has since issued a statement imploring citizens to be cautious when using electrical gadgets this winter season. ------