Newborn, Parents Rescued As Fire Razes 3 Buildings In Kwara

 A newborn baby and the child’s parents have been rescued from a fire that razed three buildings on Lawyer Lambo Street, Oloje Phase 2, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The fire affected residential buildings and other properties in the area.

The spokesperson of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, who confirmed the incident, said the newborn and the parents were rescued by residents from their apartment, which was already engulfed in flames.

Adekunle said the Fire Service received a distress call and arrived at the scene at 2:41am.

He explained that the fire affected two buildings containing four-bedroom flats each and a third building comprising a self-contained room-and-parlour apartment.

The self-contained apartment was severely affected, but the occupants, who had recently welcomed a newborn, were rescued by members of the community.

According to Adekunle, preliminary findings indicated that the fire was caused by the collapse of a concrete pole supporting a 33kV electricity transmission line.

“The impact reportedly generated sparks that affected nearby properties and electrical appliances, triggering the fire outbreak,” he said.

He added that the Fire Service contacted the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) control room to request the shutdown of the electricity feeder supplying the affected area because of the danger posed by the fallen transmission line.

The measure was necessary to provide a safer environment for firefighters to contain the blaze and manage the emergency.

The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, expressed sympathy with the affected residents over their losses.

He also warned members of the public against erecting buildings, shops and other structures directly beneath high-tension electricity transmission lines.