Get Guardian on GoogleFirefighters from the Oyo State Fire Services Agency have rescued a 45-year-old man who was trapped in a soakaway pit while evacuating accumulated faecal matter at NTC Road, Oke-Ado, Ibadan.
The agency said the incident occurred while the victim was carrying out the evacuation exercise.
In a statement, it said a distress call was received at exactly 8:12 a.m. through a telephone call and the Divisional Police Officer, Daniel, prompting the agency to dispatch a rescue team to the scene.
The firefighters, led by ACFS Oyeniyi, swiftly commenced the operation upon arrival and deployed appropriate rescue techniques, including the use of safety knots, to recover the trapped man.
The victim was subsequently handed over to a team of policemen from the Iyaganku Divisional Police Headquarters, led by SP Francis Nwamini.
The agency said its fire appliance returned safely to the station at 11:08 a.m. after the operation.
The Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Hon. Dr. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, urged residents to ensure that soakaway pits were properly covered to prevent accidents.
He also urged members of the public to engage competent personnel for soakaway evacuation, warning against the dangers associated with unsafe handling of the exercise.
Akinwande also emphasised the importance of installing functional fire extinguishers in public and commercial premises to enable occupants to tackle fire outbreaks at their early stages.
