THE Lusaka Stock Exchange building on Lusaka's Cairo Road yesterday caught fire but quick action by the firemen saved the building from severe damage.

A check by the Times of Zambia revealed that the fire had already been quenched by the fire fighters with the help of the G4 Security firm which has been hired to provide security services.

In an interview, security guards from G4 Security suspected that the fire might have been caused by the short circuit following the unexpected rains that poured in the capital city yesterday for over an hour.

"We just heard sparks coming from the top of the building and when we rushed there, we saw fire destroying the signs of the building and immediately alerted the fire fighters who responded on time," one of the guards said.

He said the firemen rushed to the building on time but did not have enough water. However, they managed to quench the fire using fire extinguishers.

The fire lasted for over 30 minutes.