Fire Guts One-storey Building in Osogbo

An early morning inferno on Thursday gutted a storey building, destroying properties worth millions of naira at Peter Ajibola street, Alekunwodo area of Osogbo,  the Osun State capital.

It was gathered that the building owned by an 80-year-old retiree, simply identified as Mrs. Olotu, caught fire due to an upsurge after electricity was restored to the area around 11:45a.m.

It took the quick intervention of fire fighters to prevent the fire from affecting other houses in the area.

Residents of the area commended the fire service officials for their proactiveness in preventing the fire from escalating.

An eyewitness, Mrs. Omolabake Samuel, said: “Few minutes after IBEDC restored power, we saw a little boy, Dada, running out from the building coughing and we saw smoke coming out of the roof as a result of the fire outbreak.

“Men of the Osun State Fire Service were really on ground; if not for their immediate intervention, things would have gone out of hand.”

Speaking also, the Public Relation Officer of the Fire Service, Mrs. Adijat Basiri, urged the residents in the state to ensure they switch off all electrical appliances before leaving their houses to prevent loss of lives and property.

According to him, "The occupant of the apartment left home without switching off all their electrical gadgets.

 "When power was restored, there was an electrical surge that resulted in the fire."

The state Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Hon Olalekan Badmus, who visited the scene of the fire sympathised with the victim.

He called for calm just as he appealed to residents of the state to be wary of practices that may cause disasters such as fire.