14 shops caught fire in two incidents that took place between Tuesday evening and the early hours of Wednesday in the Tanke neighbourhood of Ilorin in the Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State.
At about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, seven shops at Zion Overcomer, opposite Duro Suleiman House on University Road, in the Tanke area were reportedly burned, while the second incident also occurred at the Tanke Oke-Odo area on University Road at about 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday, where another seven shops were destroyed by fire.
At about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, seven shops at Zion Overcomer, opposite Duro Suleiman House on University Road, in the Tanke area were reportedly burned, while the second incident also occurred at the Tanke Oke-Odo area on University Road at about 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday, where another seven shops were destroyed by fire.
The Kwara State Fire Service, which confirmed the incidents, said that its men attended to the two inferno incidents at different locations in Tanke and saved 16 out of the 31 shops engulfed by the raging inferno.
Head of Media and Publicity of the fire service, Mr. Hassan Adekunle, said, “The Kwara State Fire Service doused an intense inferno on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at Zion Overcomer, opposite Duro Suleiman House, University Road, Tanke area Ilorin, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State.
“The inferno fighting operations concluded at 18:11 hours. Out of the 17 shops in the building, seven were affected by the burning inferno. Adding up, the total estimated property lost is N19.3 million, while the total estimated property saved is N79.5 million.
“In the early hours of Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at approximately 01:30 hour, the Kwara State Fire Service promptly responded to a inferno incident at the University Road, Tanke Oke-Odo Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State.
“Upon arrival, our inferno fighters effectively extinguished the fire that engulfed 16 metal kiosks and affected seven shops.
The inferno service attributed the cause of the two incidents to a power surge in the area.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade Olumuyiwa, advised the general public to always be safety conscious.
He also urged them to always play safe, especially during this period of harmattan, and not to hesitate to call the inferno brigade on time whenever there was any emergency in their areas, as this would save lives and property in the state.
