Fire outbreak destroys shops in Ilorin

A block of 10 shops at F-Division, Tanke in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara, has been engulfed by fire in the early hours of Tuesday.

It was gathered that the inferno, caused by a power surge, happened around 05:15 am in the morning.

According to the security guard on duty, he heard a loud noise from one of the shops, followed by smoke and then an eruption of flames, which rapidly spread to other shops in the block.

In a statement by the head of the Media and Publicity, Kwara State Fire Service Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, said the firefighters, arrived at the scene to find a block of 10 shops engulfed in flames.

“Demonstrating exceptional professionalism and efficiency, the firefighters swiftly brought the situation under control, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent shops and nearby buildings. Despite the intensity of the fire, 6 shops were salvaged while 4 shops were affected by the blaze, he said.

He, however, quoted the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, as urging the general public to always remain vigilant and safety conscious to prevent such occurrences, adding that the state fire service remained steadfast in its commitment to protecting lives and property through proactive fire safety education and swift emergency response.