LOCAL NEWS:
Tourists and hotel workers escaped unhurt on Friday evening after four tourist hotels in Jambiani Zanzibar caught fire at around 1700Hrs in a bizarre incident.
The fire and rescue department managed to put out the fire at around 2000Hrs with owners yet to determine the real losses suffered which is believed to be in billions of shillings.
The regional Police Commander Suleiman Hassan said three of the hotels were burnt completely and nothing was salvaged apart from the guests who were rescued.
However, he said despite all the property being destroyed but no visitor or employee was killed or injured as a result of the fire which was said to be huge due to the roofs of the hotels being grass thatched.
“The fire started at Villa de Coco spreading to nearby hotels mainly due to the strong winds,” he said.
Other hotels are Spice Island which lost six rooms, Fun Beach and Cobe which have all been destroyed and its guests whose number is yet to be established were quickly evacuated to other hotels.
He said the cause of the fire is yet to be established but initial reports say it was due to an electric fault in the kitchen at Villa de coco.
According to the regional commander, the hotels are owned by different owners who are foreign nationals.
One eyewitness who identified himself as Maalim Said Ali said the fire was huge because of the strong winds that delayed its being extinguished.
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