No fewer than 22 rooms were destroyed in a fire outbreak which occurred on Saturday afternoon at Alhaji Haruna Kannike Shopping Complex, Ipata, Ilorin, in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State.
The fire outbreak, which started at about 3 pm, affected the shopping complex comprising 44 rooms and 25 shops.
According to eyewitness accounts, household items, including beds, beddings, furniture, electronics and cooking utensils, were destroyed in the inferno.
The fire was reportedly caused by a power surge, which occurred after power restoration in the area after about one week of total darkness in the area.
The State Fire Service, which confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the head of Media and Publicity, Hassan Adekunle, said that about 22 rooms were completely destroyed in the fire incident.
“On Saturday, 14th December 2024, at 13:10 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service responded promptly to a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Alhaji Haruna Kannike Shopping Complex, Ipata Market, Ilorin, Kwara State.
“A fire truck and crew arrived swiftly at the scene to combat the blaze in the two-storey building housing 25 shops and 44 rooms. Upon arrival, the fire had already engulfed some rooms on the upper floor.
Adekunle said that both the state Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service combined to put off the fire to curtail it spread to adjourning buildings.
It said, “The firefighters contained the blaze, extinguished it completely, and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the market.
“While 22 rooms were affected, 22 others and all 25 shops were successfully saved.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that parts of Ilorin had experienced a power outage lasting nearly five days. Shortly after electricity was restored by IBEDC, a power surge occurred, igniting the fire on the upper floor”, the fire service said.
The Saturday fire incident was the third in the state in the last ten days as fire razed a truck loaded with Mattresses at Ita Amodu last week Wednesday, while a bungalow was razed at Mandate Housing Estate by a nine-year-old boy who was playing with matches.
Another fire incident claimed the life of a 41-year-old man at the Alaparun compound, Isale Alore, Ilorin, on Tuesday.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Falade John, urged the public to unplug electrical appliances when not in use and put off all electrical plugs before closing the shops.
He emphasized the importance of adopting safety measures to prevent fire outbreaks in homes, shops and offices in the state.
