Andara Lodge, which was still under construction at Andara village in the Kavango East region, was destroyed by a fire on Tuesday, leaving the owner with an estimated loss of N$1.6 million.
Owner Isdor Muronga says the fire allegedly started when one of the employees was burning garbage near the rooms.
He says the fire destroyed six completed rooms, with only a few items, including drones, fridges and beds, recovered.
“This is a difficult moment for me. I put in all my savings,” he says.
He says there were 12 employees employed at the lodge, including gardeners, construction workers and those who were erecting a fence around a campsite.
He says he had invested over N$3 million in the project to secure his future, but it burning down has left him with nothing.
“At this stage, I don’t know what to do or how I’m going to raise the funds to start all over again,” he says.
No injuries have been reported.
Muronga has raised concerns over the availability of firefighting services in rural areas.
He says the nearest service is at Divundu, about 15km from Andara village.
He says the fire was reported when only one room caught fire and were told the firefighting vehicle at Divundu was not operational following an accident.
“My place would have been saved if there was a fire station or truck nearby,” he says.
