A four-bedroom flat has been razed by fire due to the negligence of a female housemaid in Ilorin, Kwara State.
In a statement, Head of the Department of Media and Publicity, Kwara Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle said the incident happened on Thursday.
Adekunle explained that the maid was trying to light the gas cooker while liquefied gas had already saturated the kitchen.
He stated that the incident happened at about 10.42 a.m. at No. 6, Phase 1, off Baba-Soja Street, Akerebiata, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara.
Adekunle said: “After several attempts to strike matches while the liquefied gas had already saturated the kitchen, the ignition finally occurred, causing an explosion that led to the fire outbreak.”
“The fire crew responded immediately to prevent further destruction and upon arrival, the firefighters encountered a four-bedroom flat bungalow fully engulfed in flames.
“The fire officers tried containing the fire and preventing it from spreading to adjacent buildings; it was eventually extinguished due to the expertise of the fire officers.”
He said while the house was severely damaged, the maid, though caught up in the fire outbreak, was unharmed.
Adekunle disclosed that the Director of Kwara Fire Service, Prince Falade John, expressed his sympathy to those affected, urging the public to adhere strictly to safety precautions.
He pointed out that the director emphasized the importance of striking matches before turning on gas appliances to avert similar occurrences in the future.
