Six University of Zambia (UNZA) students escaped unharmed after a fire gutted two hostel rooms at the institution’s Great East Road Campus on Sunday evening. The fire broke out around 19:00 hours in Room 18 of October 2 Hostel before spreading to the neighbouring Room 28.…

Six University of Zambia (UNZA) students escaped unharmed after a fire gutted two hostel rooms at the institution’s Great East Road Campus on Sunday evening.

The fire broke out around 19:00 hours in Room 18 of October 2 Hostel before spreading to the neighbouring Room 28.

According to preliminary police investigations, the fire is believed to have originated from an electrical socket while the students were using an electric cooker.

The blaze destroyed laptops, refrigerators, clothing, documents and other personal belongings, leaving the affected students with significant losses.

The six occupants managed to escape after raising an alarm as smoke engulfed the hostel.

The Fire Brigade later responded to the scene and successfully extinguished the fire before it spread to other parts of the hostel.

Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi confirmed that no injuries were recorded during the incident.

“The fire destroyed clothing, laptops, refrigerators, documents, and other personal belongings in Room 18 before spreading to the neighbouring Room 28, where additional property was also destroyed,” Chilabi said.

Police have since processed the scene and opened an inquiry to establish the exact cause of the fire, while the value of the damaged property has not yet been determined.