National park counts loss in Serengeti fire

Serengeti. Serengeti National Park (Senapa) administration block at Fort Ikoma has been burnt to the ground.

The source of the fire was yet to be established. Most office equipment and documents were destroyed by the fire as workers were able to recover only few from the burning building.

Senapa chief conservationist William Mwakilema said through the phone from Moshi where he is attending a meeting that the fire happened yesterday at around 11am.

Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) public relations manager Pascal Shelutete also confirmed the incident but could not give details on the source of the fire.

Mr Mwakilema said that the fire started in the veterinary officers’ room and quickly spread and engulfed the entire building after only short time. “In the veterinary room there are fridges and freezers for conserving drugs and medicines. So far we have not been able to establish the cause of the fire but the loss we have suffered is huge because the entire building which houses many offices including accounts office, has been burnt alongside equipment and documents,” he said.

He said only a few items were rescued by the workers. According to Mr Mwakilema, detailed statement on the accident will be issued upon conclusion of investigations.

Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park. It is also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed a 7th world wide wonder.

It is famed for its annual migration of wildebeest. It offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle

The incident marks continuation of fire accidents in Serengeti District. On Thursday a classroom at Nyabihore Secondary School was razed.

As of yesterday, investigators were yet to issue a report on what caused the school fire.