Seven students at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, have reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury during a fire incident at a gas shop near a student hostel.
The fire incident, as it was gathered, occurred at Destiny Villa, Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area in Ilorin East LGA, late Saturday night.
During the incident, a gas attendant also suffered injuries.
The Head of Department (HOD) Media and Publicity of the State Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, confirmed the incident on Sunday.
“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.
“Upon arrival at the scene, firemen encountered a building with about 17 self-contained rooms fully ablaze. The fire affected four rooms, and eight individuals sustained injuries.
“The total estimated property loss was valued at N14.6 million, while the total estimated property saved was N72.2 million,” he added.
In response to the incident, the Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, dispatched his team to check on the affected students on Sunday.
The director also urged members of the public to prioritize safety measures to prevent fire disasters.