Seven Poly students, gas attendant injured in Ilorin fire incident 

Seven students of the Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin, at the weekend sustained injuries in a fire accident at a gas refilling shop around their hostel.

The fire, which also involved a gas attendant.  occurred at Destiny Villa on Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area in the Ilorin East Local Council Saturday night.

Head of Department (HOD) media and publicity of the state Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, said the fire started when an attendant at a nearby gas shop was refilling a cylinder, positioned several meters above ground level.

“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.
“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,” he stated.

According to the fireman, property valued at about N14.6 million was lost in the incident, while a total estimated property saved was N72.2 million.

In response, Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, who dispatched his team to check on the affected students on Sunday, urged the members of the public to prioritize safety measures to prevent fire disasters.