THE usually calm gates of Maina Soko Medical Centre (MSMC) turned into chaos yesterday after a public service minibus suddenly erupted into flames, sending passengers screaming and scrambling for their lives.
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Around 14:00 hours, the bus carrying commuters, screeched to a halt outside the hospital after a brake pad snapped.
Within seconds, smoke began to flow, followed swiftly by orange tongues of fire licking at the vehicle’s undercarriage.
Passengers were in panic as some tried to squeeze through windows while others tripped over each other rushing to for safety.
According to MSMC, a man identified as Lovedale Hanemba, a plumber and trained fire warden courageously stepped forward.
Spotting danger, Hanemba dashed to the hospital’s gatehouse, grabbed a fire extinguisher and charged towards the inferno.
With smoke stinging his eyes and heat pressing against his face, the plumber fought side by side with the bus crew to tame the flames, giving precious moments for all passengers to escape unhurt.
By the time the last terrified commuter was pulled to safety, the blaze had been beaten back.
The bus driver and conductor, visibly shaken but alive, clasped Hanemba’s hands in gratitude, saying had it not been for his swift response, the fire could have consumed both vehicle and lives.
This latest inferno joins a disturbing string of fire incidents that have gripped the country in recent weeks.
Just days earlier, fire engulfed Ndola’s Kapalala Market once again, leaving one person dead and reducing depots of maize, beans, cassava, groundnuts and other foodstuffs to ashes.
Two weeks ago, 76 passengers aboard a Power Tools bus to Nakonde narrowly cheated death when their coach went up in flames at Zanimuone.
And on August 25 in Lusaka, shoppers watched in disbelief as a public service bus parked near Iringa Mall burst into flames, reducing it to a metal skeleton.
Meanwhile, a bush fire recently swept through 20 hectares of Zambia National Service (ZNS) farms along Kasisi Road, leaving behind scorched fields and raising fresh alarm about the country’s rising vulnerability to fire disasters.
Fire has become an unwelcome visitor, testing the country’s safety systems and emergency response.
By George Musonda
Kalemba September 9, 2025
