A gas cylinder explosion in Ilorin, Kwara State capital left eight victims severely injured on Saturday,Novembver 18.
They included a gas attendant and seven students of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.
Spokesman of the State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed that the incident occurred at approximately 21:32 hours, at Destiny Villa, Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area, of Ilorin East Local Government, in the State.
“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, 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 spokesman added that the fire incident destroyed property worth N14.6m.
In his reaction to the incident, Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, dispatched his team to check on the affected students on Sunday.
The Director also urged the public to prioritize safety measures to prevent fire disasters.