FIRE swept through a clinic in Chieftainess Nawaitwika's area in Nakonde and destroyed medicines and furniture worth millions of Kwacha.

Nakonde council secretary Francis Nkhoma confirmed the incident, which happened at the weekend in an interview yesterday.

Mr Nkhoma said the clinic situated about 30 kilometres from the border town, serviced hundreds of Chieftainess Nawaitwika's subjects.

He said the fire was believed to have started when a kerosene-powered refrigerator exploded after the plastic kerosene tank overheated and flames engulfed the entire refrigerator.

The council secretary said the fire completely gutted medical kit and various stocks of drugs and vaccines worth millions of Kwacha.

Mr Nkhoma explained that the clinic had its ceiling and doors gutted and windows shattered. All the furniture and linen were destroyed.

He said the council workers and some villagers who rushed to the scene found workers and some villagers trying to salvage the remaining drugs.

Quick action by the fire brigade prevented the entire building from collapsing.

As an interim measure, Mr Nkhoma said the district health authorities have immediately began transferring some medical facilities from other centres to restock the clinic.

He said the council and the district administration had pledged to renovate the building and have since appealed to the Ministry of Health to urgently come to the aid of its residents at Waitwika as they needed to fully restock the clinic and prevent deaths.