Two seprate fire incidents on Saturday threw residents of Ilorin, kwara state capital into confussion as men of the Kwara state fire service battled hard to save lives and property from being consumed by inferno .
In one of the incidents, a tanker caught fire by 10pm while dispensing petrol at MM filling station, Ayegbami junction in Alagbado area of Ilorin, Kwara state along Sobi specialist hospital road.
The incident caused panic as residents of Alagbado, Okelele, Ayegbami, Dada and Oloje as well as adjoining communities abandoned their houses and scampered to safety as the thick smoke from the fire suggested that the fire might reached their places.
The state governor, AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq, visited the scene of the incident at about 11.45pm to assess the situation of things and commisserated with the victims and residents of the area.
Firemen who arrived the scene of the incident promptly following a distressed call put to them had hectic time putting out the fire, but their quick response was applauded by the people who gathered from far and near to solidarise with those who reside in the vicinity of the scene of the fire outbreak.
The special adviser on strategy to Kwara state governor, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, whose private residence is located behind the burning filling station, expressed his appreciation to the state government and the firemen for their prompt interventions.
Salahu, whose family were evacuated by neighbours thanked the security operatives and his private guard for their prompt responses.
He equally thanked the people of the adjoining communities, family, friends and relations for their concerns and show of love while the nightmare lasted.
The special adviser noted that were it not for the prompt intervention of the state government and the gallant firemen, the fire outbreak would have wreak havoc of unimaginable proportion.
Above all, Salahu thanked Allah for ensuring the safety of lives of the people in the neighborhood and his own family members as his residence is situated directly behind the burning filling station.
In another incident the federal secretariat in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, was also gutted by fire on Saturday.
Blueprint gathered that the fire outbreak which occurred at about 4.39pm was a result of a mechanical fault.
It was further gathered that prompt intervention of the men of the Kwara state Fire Service saved the gigantic building from total destruction.
The spokesman of the state Fire service, Hassan Adekunle, who confirmed the incident, put the estimated cost of property saved from the inferno at a billion naira.
