Truck ignition sparks inferno, destroys properties in Ilorin

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

A devastating fire outbreak on Tuesday destroyed no fewer than 16 rooms at Ile Bilewu, Alabi-Owo Junction, Ita-Amodu area of Ilorin, while leaving a total of 47 rooms and 19 shops affected.

The incident occurred after a lorry overloaded with mattresses collided with a high-tension wire, causing a spark that ignited the mattresses. The fire quickly spread to a nearby building housing the rooms and shops, leading to widespread destruction.

Hassan Adekunle, Head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, disclosed that the service responded swiftly to a distress call about the outbreak. According to him, the highly flammable nature of the mattresses contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the blaze.

“Once the mattresses caught fire, the blaze spread rapidly from the lorry to the nearby building, which housed 47 rooms and 19 shops,” Adekunle stated.

He further revealed that the explosion of a nearby step-down transformer worsened the situation, intensifying the inferno and spreading it to adjacent structures.

The Kwara State Fire Service, with support from the Federal Fire Service, worked diligently to extinguish the fire and minimize the damage.

“We are deeply grateful to the Nigeria Police Force for their intervention in safeguarding our firefighters during the operation,” Adekunle said, noting that hoodlums had attempted to disrupt the response efforts. “Their protection ensured the safety of our personnel in what was already a volatile situation.”

The fire service also commended media houses for their timely updates, which helped keep the public informed about the incident and response measures.

Efforts are ongoing to assess the full extent of the damage and provide necessary support to those affected.