Officials of the Kwara State Government have visited the people of Bilewu Compound in Ita Amodu, Ilorin South Local Government Area, over the fire disaster that occurred on Wednesday morning.
Eyewitness accounts said the inferno occurred when a truck driver whose overloaded vehicle came in contact with electrical cables and gutted fire, burning down two residential buildings and eight shops.
The delegation which was led by the Chief of Staff of the Government House, Prince AbdulKadir Mahe, comprised the Senior Advisor and Counselor Sa’adu Salau; Special Adviser on Special Duties Alhaji Abdulrazhaq Jiddah; Special Assistant on Transport, Ibrahim Orire; Special Adviser on Party Affairs, Mashood Alaka; and Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Saadu Mashood Mogaji.
Mahe said the visit was a sequel to the Governor’s directive to condole with the victims.
He said officials of the SEMA have been directed to take the inventory of the damaged buildings and properties.
“We are here on behalf of the Executive Governor of the state, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to sympathize with the Balogun Afin and his community, especially the people who are directly affected by the fire disaster.
“Immediately the Governor heard of this incident, he asked us to come and condole with our father, Balogun Afin, and his people,” Mahe said.
The team earlier paid homage to the community head and Balogun Afin of Ilorin, Alhaji Yusuf Muhammad Nuhu, who expressed his gratitude for the government’s quick response.
This prompt response by the Governor is commendable as it serves as hope for the victims that succor would come their way, Balogun Afin said.
One of the victims, Mrs. Akukwe Florence Ebelechukwu, said the incident had led to the loss of millions of naira in her shop and appealed to the government and other well-meaning individuals to come to their aid.
The inferno spread to a nearby building, leaving at least 16 rooms and seven shops in ruins.
It was learned that the lorry loaded with mattresses was coming from Taiwo Area and got stuck near Niger Road Junction after it collided with a high-tension cable.
Attempts by the driver of the lorry to meander his way out of the high-tension cable precipitated an electric spark that resulted in the fire outbreak.
Investigations showed that the lorry was completely razed down while efforts to put out the inferno proved abortive.
The incident threw residents and shop owners in the area into panic mode as they ran helter-skelter to avoid being caught in the raging fire.
Those who parked their vehicles near the spot where the lorry-load of mattresses caught fire scampered to relocate their vehicles to safer spots in the area.
Some of the affected shop owners were sighted trying to remove goods and wares that were not affected in the inferno.
A resident of the area, who identified himself as Kayode attributed the degree of the fire outbreak to the inflammable nature of the mattresses.
The state fire service confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Ilorin.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the service, Hassan Adekunle, said the operatives of the service who were dispatched to the scene acted swiftly and saved 31 rooms and 12 shops.
He quoted the Director of the state fire service, Falade John, to have emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety to prevent such incidents in the future.
Comments are closed.