The Government has expressed concern over the loss that traders at the Mbare Traders Market incurred when their goods worth millions of dollars were destroyed by a fire on Tuesday night.
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the ministry is deeply saddened by the incident.
Minister Mutsvangwa said preliminary assessments have indicated that the fire caused extensive damage to the market, destroying the entire retail section and parts of the wholesale market.
"This has had a profound impact on the lives of approximately 4 695 traders occupying over 1 565 tables who depend on this market for their primary source of income," she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said the tragedy has negatively impacted not only the traders but also the suppliers and other players in the value chains that support the market."
She said her ministry is engaging other Government departments and agencies as well as development partners to come up with a comprehensive response plan while the nation will be kept abreast of the measures that will be undertaken to ameliorate the negative impact of the disaster.