In Andavamamba, a doctor saw his savings go up in smoke, including his recently received salary, when a fire ravaged his bedroom during the night of Monday to Tuesday. A fire that broke out in the night of Monday to Tuesday in Andavamamba, near the Jirama agency, destroyed a doctor's room, taking his savings and most of his personal belongings.
Maholisoa Andriamanalina, a doctor at a basic health center, claims to have lost all the money he kept at his home, including his salary received a few days earlier. In total, 1.6 million ariary were destroyed by the flames, as well as 100,000 ariary belonging to the health facility where he works. "Everything disappeared in a few moments," he confides.
At the time of the incident, the practitioner was sleeping alone on the ground floor while family members were upstairs. "I had taken a sleeping pill, I heard nothing. When I woke up, the room was already filled with smoke and flames," he recounts. According to his account, a power cut followed by a sudden restoration of electricity could be at the origin of the disaster, after a charger left plugged in caught fire.
"The fire was already very large when I got up," he explains. The fire destroyed the bedroom furniture, notably the bed, table, wardrobe and a wooden partition. A collection of vinyl records and reading materials were also consumed. The sub-meter located nearby was damaged, while the main connection was not affected, an element that still puzzles the property owner.
Alerted, firefighters intervened on site, but the flames had already ravaged most of the room. "I was surprised to have managed to wake up despite the sleeping pill I had taken," he continues.
The doctor notes that he only occupies this accommodation on weekends and public holidays, his professional activity requiring him to reside elsewhere the rest of the time. He was to return to his post on Tuesday morning when the fire broke out.
He also claims to have already faced several similar incidents. "Last year, a charger had already caught fire. And two weeks ago, my old television started to catch fire," he reports. Beyond material losses, this fire highlights the risks associated with faulty electrical installations and the use of obsolete devices in homes.