Three computer laboratories of Tanzania’s Zanzibar Institute of Marine Sciences were gutted by fire on Saturday, an official said.
The Zanzibar Marine Sciences Institute is an affiliate of the state-run University of Dar es Salaam.
Adam Mwakalukwa, the administrative officer of the institute, said the fire destroyed three computer laboratories.
“We haven’t established the loss caused by the fire but the loss is huge,’’ said Mwakalukwa.
He added that experts are assessing to establish the extent of the loss caused by the fire.
He said among the destroyed items are computers and live marine animals used in teaching students.
Rashid Mzee Abdallah, the commander of the Zanzibar Fire and Rescue Force, said firefighters managed to contain the fire before it caused devastating consequences.
Abdallah added that the fire broke out in the morning.
He said that the fire might have been caused by a faulty circuit breaker, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish the real cause of the fire.
The Institute of Marine Sciences was established in 1978 with the mandate to conduct research and offer postgraduate and undergraduate training.
It also provides consultancy services in all aspects of marine sciences. (Xinhua/NAN)