Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo says police must not remain calm thinking that everything is well.

Commenting on the fire that gutted Kapalala market in Ndola, Kampyongo said it was regrettable and asked police to “reactivate” themselves.

“It is indeed sad and regrettable that when we have enjoyed relative calmness and peace, we have recorded another disaster in the inferno that gutted Kapalala Market. But I want to just appeal to our people to remain calm and for our men in uniform, the Zambia Police Service, I think it is time we reactivate ourselves, there shouldn’t be any time to relax and think that all is well,” Kampyongo said.

He also asked citizens to remain calm until as investigations into the cause of the fire were still underway.

“So mine is just to appeal to our people to remain calm and we can’t start speculating now until thorough investigations are exhausted to establish what the cause of fire could have been,” said Kampyongo.

The market has been reduced to ashes from an inferno that started between 01:00 and 02:00hours.

A combined team of fire fighters and the residents managed to put out the fire, but it was too late to salvage much.

According to Ndola mayor Amon Chisenga who visited the place in the early hours, over 3,000 stands have been destroyed.