The authorities in Malawi have launched an investigation into the cause of a fire at a government building in the capital, Lilongwe, that destroyed crucial records.
The Saturday night fire gutted the sixth and seventh floors of the building where the land registry, the government's contracting unit and a department of the judiciary were located, Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu said in a statement.
Official papers on land ownership and land transfers are feared to have been destroyed, according to local media reports, but the government said all records at the Ministry of Lands were backed up digitally.
"The nation should therefore not worry about any alleged loss of information for nefarious reasons," Mr Kunkuyu said.
He said the investigation was being conducted by the police supported by other security agencies and the outcome will be made public.
It was not the first time that the building caught fire. A similar blaze broke out in 2019. Debate among social media users in the country highlighted many suspicions on the incident.
President Lazarus Chakwera was elected on an anti-corruption platform in 2020 but has been battling claims of corruption and nepotism in his government.
His vice, Saulos Chilima, is facing corruption charges over accusations of accepting money in exchange for awarding government contracts. He has denied any wrongdoing.
