RESIDENTS of Nkwazi Township in Ndola on the Copperbelt last Saturday attacked a crew of firefighters, pelting them with stones and threatened to burn one of them.
The crew from the Ndola City (NCC) was only rescued by police.
According to NCC public relations manager Tilyenji Mwanza, the crew was attacked after it responded to a distress call in Nkwazi Township at 16:32 hours and arrived at the scene at 16:42 hours on Saturday.
Mwanza explained to #Kalemba in a statement that due to the bad and narrow roads in the township, the firefighters opted to park the fire engine about 300 meters from the house which was on fire while part of the crew accessed the house on foot but were greeted by a hostile mob.
“The hostile mob begun to pelt and attack the fire fighters as well as threatened to destroy the fire engine. One of the fire fighters who sort refuge in a nearby house was threatened to be burnt to death by a mob that surrounded the house he hid in,” Mwanza narrated.
She said the crew was on saved by what she termed “quick intervention of police who rescued the fire fighter, offered security to all the fire men and dispersed the hostile crowd.”
Mwanza said the firefighters failed to rescue the burning house
“due to the aggressive crowd”.
She said the attack had disappointed the NCC and that the local authority would not tolerate any of its officers or property to be attacked as they carried out their duties.
Mwanza said the firefighters have now resorted to work with police to ensure perpetrators of anarchy were arrested.
“Further, we would like to mention that such attitude as was
orchestrated in Nkwazi will end up causing us not to respond to distress
calls.
Such atrocious attitude is very barbaric and astonishing and should not be seen from any patriotic Zambians,” Mwanza stated.
