A lorry overloaded with mattresses on Tuesday collided with a high-tension wire in Ilorin, Kwara state capital causing a spark that ignited fire which consumed 12 shops.
Blueprint gathered that the incident occurred when the overloaded lorry was conveying the mattresses along popular ita-amodu area of Ilorin.
It was gathered that the collision with the high tension also caused explosion of a nearby step-down transformer thereby aggravating the situation.
The head, media and publicity, Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle who confirmed the incident in a statement said, “upon arrival, we encountered a massive inferno originating from a lorry overloaded with mattresses. The fire spread from the lorry to a nearby building containing 47 rooms and 19 shops. Undeterred by the intensity of the blaze, our courageous firefighters acted swiftly to contain the fire and prevent further destruction. Our efforts successfully saved 12 shops and 31 rooms, while 7 shops and 16 rooms were unfortunately affected.
“Investigations revealed that the fire originated from a lorry overloaded with mattresses. The lorry had collided with a high-tension wire, causing a spark that ignited the mattresses. Once the mattresses caught fire, the blaze spread rapidly from the lorry to the nearby building, which housed 47 rooms and 19 shops. The highly flammable nature of the mattresses contributed to the swift spread of the fire.
“Additionally, the explosion of a nearby step-down transformer intensified the situation, further aiding the rapid spread of the fire to the adjacent shops and rooms”.
He praised the assistance provided by the Federal Fire Service, who collaborated with the state fire service in extinguishing the fire and ensuring the safety of all involved.
“Their timely support played a crucial role in containing the blaze. We also express our gratitude to the Nigeria Police Force, who helped protect our firefighters from the threat posed by hoodlums attempting to disrupt the operation.
“Their intervention ensured the safety and security of our personnel during a highly volatile situation. Additionally, we would like to thank the media houses for their timely notifications and real-time updates, which helped keep the public informed about the progress of the incident and the measures being taken to address it. Their role in disseminating accurate information was invaluable in managing the situation and preventing further panic’, the statment added.
The statement qouted the director of the state fire service, Prince Falade John, as emphasising “the critical importance of prioritizing safety to prevent such incidents in the future”.