Eight individuals suffered injuries in a gas cylinder explosion that occurred in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, on Saturday. Among the injured were a gas attendant and seven students from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.
According to Hassan Adekunle, the spokesperson for the State Fire Service, the incident occurred around 21:32 hours at Destiny Villa, Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area, Ilorin East Local Government. Adekunle stated, “The firemen promptly departed from the station, and upon arrival at the scene, they encountered a building with about 17 self-contained rooms fully ablaze. Four rooms were affected, and eight individuals sustained injuries. Despite the intense fire, the firefighters effectively contained and extinguished it through their skilled firefighting techniques.”
Upon investigation, it was revealed that a gas attendant at a nearby gas shop was refilling a gas cylinder positioned several meters above ground level. The cylinder fell and exploded, releasing gas from the charged hose used for refilling. This exacerbated the fire, causing injuries to seven Kwara State Polytechnic students and the gas attendant.
The spokesperson added that the fire incident resulted in the destruction of property worth N14.6 million.
In response to the incident, Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, dispatched his team to check on the affected students on Sunday. He also urged the public to prioritize safety measures to prevent fire disasters.