41-year-old man dies, 35-room building partially destroyed in Kwara fire

A tragic fire incident early Monday morning claimed the life of a 41-year-old man, Abdulfatai, and damaged a 35-room residential building at No. 158 Alaparun Compound, Isale Alore, Ilorin, in Kwara State.

The fire, reportedly caused by spontaneous ignition in a room storing combustible materials, including petrol and batteries, broke out around 2 a.m. and quickly spread through parts of the building.

The deceased, who was not a resident of the affected building, had come from Ile Alate in the Abayawo area of Ilorin to spend the night at a friend’s house. He succumbed to intense smoke inhalation, which rendered him unconscious and unable to escape.

The Kwara State Fire Service responded promptly to a distress call and arrived on the scene with a fire truck and crew. In a statement, the agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, PFO Hassan Adekunle, confirmed that while five rooms were completely destroyed, firefighters were able to save 30 rooms from the blaze.

“At about 2:07 a.m. on December 9, 2024, we received a report of a fire at No. 158 Ile Alaparun, Isale Alore, Ilorin. Firefighters worked tirelessly to contain and extinguish the flames, saving a majority of the building,” Adekunle said.

The statement further revealed that the deceased’s body was handed over to his family after the firefighting operation.

Preliminary investigations pointed to an ignition in a room storing flammable materials, including petrol, batteries, and a tyre inflator engine, as the cause of the fire.

The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, extended condolences to the family of the deceased and the Magaji of Ile Alaparun. He also stressed the importance of adhering to safety measures to prevent such incidents.