A fire has ravaged five tourist hotels in the Paje coastal area in Unguja South (Zanzibar) on the southeast coast of the island.
According to dailynews.co.tz, the fire started in the kitchen of The Nest Hotel on Saturday, July 8, destroying its kitchen, restaurant and bar, before igniting four neighbouring hotels.
The damages, in addition to those at The Nest Hotel, included the reception and bar of the Meraki Hotel, the restaurant of the Drifters Zanzibar Hotel, the bar and restaurant of the Maisha Matamu Hotel and five rooms in Cristal Resort.
Firefighters, police, and residents are said to have teamed up to fight the fire until around 03h00.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The value of the destroyed properties and whether they are insured is unknown.
The District Commissioner for Unguja South, Rajab Mkasaba, said: “We started to fight the fire after midnight and controlled it. There were many tourists when the fire started, but we thank God nobody was injured.”
The economy of the Paje area relies heavily on tourism.
