Ilorin gas cylinder explosion injures eight people

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

In Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, a gas cylinder explosion on Saturday resulted injuring eight persons.

Among them were seven students from Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, and a gas attendant.

According to Hassan Adekunle, spokesman for the State Fire Service, the incident happened at Destiny Villa, Dola Abimbola Street, Elekoyangan area, Ilorin East Local Government, in the State, at around 21:32 hours.

“The firefighters left the station right away, and when they got to the scene, they saw a building with about 17 independent rooms completely on fire.

“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 disclosed that about N14.6 million worth of property was destroyed in the fire.

Prince Falade John, the director of the Kwara State Fire Service, sent a team to check on the affected students on Sunday in response to the incident.

In order to stop fire disasters, the director also pleaded with the public to prioritise safety precautions.