Residents escape as fire guts building, laundry shop in Kwara

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Residents of an eight-room residential building escaped unhurt in the early hours of Tuesday after a fire outbreak destroyed a laundry shop attached to the property at Assu-Luxury Quarters, off University Road, Tanke area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

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The incident, which occurred at about 3:58 a.m., prompted a swift response from firefighters, who contained the blaze before it spread to the residential apartments and adjoining buildings.

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The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed the development in a statement.

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He said the affected property comprised eight residential rooms and a laundry shop, with only the laundry section damaged.

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“The incident involved a building comprising eight rooms and a laundry shop, where the laundry shop was affected by the fire.

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“Firefighters promptly mobilised to the scene and successfully brought the fire under control at about 04:25hrs, preventing it from spreading to the residential apartments and nearby properties.

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“The crew concluded the operation and left the scene at about 04:42hrs,” he said.

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According to the fire service, preliminary findings suggest the blaze may have been caused by an electrical power surge from a pressing iron left switched on for an extended period, although investigations are ongoing.

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“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a power surge, possibly from one of the pressing irons that had been left powered for a long period.

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“However, further investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the remote cause of the incident,” Hassan added.

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Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged business owners, particularly laundry operators, to adopt safer electrical practices.

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“Business owners, especially those operating laundry services, should ensure that electrical appliances are switched off immediately after use and never left unattended while powered,” he advised.

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He also stressed the need for routine electrical inspections, the use of standard electrical appliances and installation of surge protection devices to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.

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The fire service reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property through prompt emergency response and sustained public awareness on fire safety.

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