Fire Outbreak: 7 Students, Gas Attendant Narrowly Escape Death in Ilorin

Joseph Emeribe 2023-11-19 0

Seven students of Kwara State Polytechnic (Kwarapoly), Ilorin, reportedly escaped death after fire engulfed a gas refilling shop near a student hostel in Ilorin, the State capital.

The fire incident, which occurred at Destiny Villa, Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area in the Ilorin East local government area of the state late Saturday night, also involved a gas attendant.

According to a statement released and signed to DiamondFM today (Sunday) by Head of Department (HOD) Media and Publicity, Kwara State Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, noted that the fire started when a gas attendant at a nearby gas shop was refilling a gas cylinder, positioned several meters above ground level.

“The cylinder fell and exploded, concurrently releasing gas from the charged hose used for refilling. This exacerbated the fire, resulting in injuries to seven Kwara State Polytechnic students and the gas attendant.

“The firemen promptly departed from the station and upon arrival at the scene, they encountered a building with about 17 self-contained rooms fully ablaze. Four rooms were affected, and eight individuals sustained injuries”, he added.

The Spokesperson added that a total estimated property lost was valued at N14.6 million naira, while a total estimated property saved was N72.2 million naira.

In response to the incident, Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, dispatched his team to check on the affected students on Sunday, November 19, 2023, appealing to members of the public to prioritize safety measures to prevent fire disasters.