Rwanda : Fire guts down Isango Star radio station in Kigali

Posted by peter in English, Featured | 0 comments

 Fire has destroyed the studio equipment of Isango Star radio station based in Kigali – leaving losses worth several millions in damage.

The fire reportedly erupted at around 6:00am on Saturday January 12, 2013.

According to the night shift technician, the fire started from the sealing where electric wires may have converged causing an electric circuit.

The Fire brigade arrived after about 30 minutes and managed to rescue some property as the fire had been threatening to spread through the neighbouring buildings.

Police officers at the scene told journalists that the fire would not have spread first to destroy such a significant amount of property, if the radio station had an item as basic as a fire extinguisher.

Isango Star radio, which broadcasts on 91.5 FM frequencies, lost studio materials including microphones, chairs and sound proofs. However the police managed to rescue some important radio instruments such as mixers and computers.

According to its manager, Justin Mugabo, who was at the scene a few minutes after the fire broke out, the fire may have been caused by poor installation of the studios which triggered an electric short circuit.

Nobody was injured, as the fire broke out early morning before the journalists had reached at work.

It is estimated that the radio station might take a little while off air as the installations of sound proofs and studios has to be redone.

Last year Kigali city also witnessed fire tragedies that left two Kigali nightspots Cadillac night club and Down town bar burnt to ashes.