Fire guts Muhanga nightclub

MUHANGA-THE news came as a blow to partygoers and nightlife lovers in Muhanga town, Muhanga district, that the sole night club in the town was reduced to ashes on Friday evening.The fire which burnt a large part of the Orion Club started shortly after 6.00 PM, according to eyewitness accounts.A nearby restaurant was also partly damaged.The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established but it is suspected that the fire was caused by a short circuit which affected a nearby electricity pole connecting the club.Shortly after the fire broke out, the area was sealed off to allow fire-fighters to take out the flames which left clouds of dark smoke over the town.By 09.00 pm, fire-fighters were still struggling to put out the blaze.Sources said no lives were lost in the blaze.It is estimated that the loss caused by Friday’s fire is between Rwf 150-180 million, Ukwigize Gildas, the club owner, told The New Times in an interview.“Everything has been destroyed,” Ukwigize said, in a sad voice. The property was insured, he added, on a positive note.Orion club follows a number of other nightspots which were recently burnt down, mainly in the city of Kigali.Mid-November, Cadillac club, one of Kigali’s most popular nightspots, was left in total ruins after a fire broke out and burnt up a large chunk of the property.Other popular hangout joints that have caught fire include the Executive Carwash in Kimihurura, Downtown Café and La Classe both located in the Kigali city centre.