A housemaid accidentally set her employer’s four-bedroom apartment on fire in Ilorin on Thursday, August 15, 2024. The fire broke out at approximately 10:42 a.m. at No. 6, Phase 1, off Baba-Soja Street, Akerebiata, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident occurred when the maid attempted to light the gas cooker while the kitchen was already filled with liquefied gas. The repeated attempts to strike matches resulted in an explosion and subsequent fire that severely damaged the apartment.
According to Hassan Adekunle, Head of Media and Publicity at Kwara Fire Service, the housemaid was caught in the fire but fortunately was unharmed. Firefighters responded promptly and managed to extinguish the blaze, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings.
Prince Falade John, Director of Kwara Fire Service, has expressed sympathy to those affected and stressed the importance of safety precautions, particularly emphasizing the need to strike matches before turning on gas appliances to prevent similar incidents in the future.