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Kwara Fire Service Prevents Major Disaster in Ilorin Residential Area

The Kwara State Fire Service successfully prevented what could have been a major fire disaster in Ilorin, the state capital, on Thursday evening when a high-voltage transmission line fell on a residential building.

According to Hassan Adekunle, spokesperson for the fire service, the incident occurred around 21:12 hours at Alfa Olorunkemi compound behind the state House of Assembly in the Asa Dam area of Ilorin.

How the Fire Started

The emergency began when a 33kVA transmission cable fell directly onto a plastic overhead water tank located within the premises of a building containing three units of three-bedroom apartments. The contact between the live electrical cable and the water tank immediately triggered a fire.

"The fire crew immediately mobilized and arrived at the scene to discover that the fire originated from a building consisting of three units of 3-bedroom apartments," Adekunle explained in a statement released on Friday.

Challenges During the Rescue Operation

The firefighting team faced significant challenges during their operation. The continued power supply from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) posed a serious safety risk to the firefighters and hampered their efforts to extinguish the blaze.

Adekunle reported that he had to contact the IBEDC control room directly to request an emergency shutdown of the affected feeder supplying electricity to the area. Once power was successfully cut off, the crew was able to fully extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading further, ultimately saving the entire building from destruction.

Safety Advisory

Prince Falade John, Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, commended the swift response of the fire crew while urging the general public to remain safety conscious at all times.

He specifically advised residents and property developers to avoid constructing buildings close to or directly beneath transmission lines, emphasizing that such practices pose grave dangers to lives and property.

This incident serves as a reminder of the potential hazards associated with electrical infrastructure and the importance of maintaining safe distances from high-voltage power lines.

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