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Tag: Fire

  • Police confirms death of officer’s 15-year-old son in barracks fire

    Police confirms death of officer’s 15-year-old son in barracks fire

    The Police Command in Lagos State said a 15-year-old son of a senior police officer attached to the Lagos Police Command had died from Tuesday’s Falamo Police Barracks, Ikoyi fire incident.

    The command’s Police Public Relations Officers, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident on Thursday.

    Hundeyin said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ikoyi, got information about the incident on Tuesday at about 12.40 p.m. from Falomo Police Barracks.

    He said that the DPO was informed that on Tuesday about 9.00 p.m., fire gutted Room 24, Block 1 of ASP Godspower David, attached to Bar Beach Police Division, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The image maker said that based on the report, emergency responders were mobilised to the scene for rescue operation.

    “The teams successfully put out the fire, however, during evacution of the debris, corpse of one Emmanuel Godspower David, aged 15 years, the son of the officer consumed by the inferno, was found.

    “The corpse has been evacuated to a public morgue for autopsy, while investigation is in progress,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Idowu Owohunwa, on Thursday, visited the bereaved officer at Falomo Police Barracks with the Deputy Commissioner of police, Operations, Mr Isa Grema, to express their condolences.

    Owohunwa, who was recieved by the officer and wife, said he got the information on Wednesday with sadness and decided to visit them in person due to the great loss.

    The CP said he was pained about the human casualty from the fire.

    He prayed that God should comfort the bereaved family and donated N500,000 to take care of their immediate expenses.

  • Sad! 80-year-old woman dies in Kwara fire

    Sad! 80-year-old woman dies in Kwara fire

    An 80-year-old woman died in a fire disaster in Ilorin on Sunday, the Kwara Fires Service said on Monday.

    Kwara State Fire Service spokesman, Mr Hassan Adekunle, who confirmed the incident, said smoke emitting from the fire suffocated the octogenarian who could not trace the staircase to escape.

    He said fire-fighters doused the fire and prevented a major disaster in the area.

    Hassan said though the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, it was confined to the first floor of the storey building from where it originated.

    “Out of the four flats in the storey building, only one flat was affected,’’ he added.

    He said the delay in making a distress call to the fire service enabled the fire to cause severe damage to the building.

    “In a related development, another fire outbreak was recorded on Sunday at a residential building in Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara.

    “The fire which resulted from a power surge involved a storey building of about 16 rooms, but only eight rooms were affected.

    “Total estimated property saved is N62.8 million, while total estimated property lost is put at N17.2 million.’’ Adekunle said.

  • 7-year-old boy dies in Lagos fire incident

    7-year-old boy dies in Lagos fire incident

    The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, has recovered the body of a seven-year-old boy who died in a fire incident on Thursday in Ketu area of Lagos.

    The Director of the service, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, said in a statement that the fire engulfed two bungalows at No. 19, Adekanbi Street, off Alli Street, Mile 12, Ketu, Lagos.

    “Due to delay in distress call, the raging fire caused severe damage to the buildings and a male child of about seven years was recovered from the building.

    “The male child suspectedly died before the spread of the fire was confined and eventually subdued,” she said.

    The director also said that the service had put out another fire incident at the Leisure Mall on Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, Lagos.

    She said that the fire, which was reported at 2:41 p.m. was extinguished by the firemen from Sari-Iganmu and Ajegunle fire service stations.

  • Fire guts petrol filling station in Akure

    Fire guts petrol filling station in Akure

    An Optimal Filling Station located on Aule Road in Akure, the Ondo State  Capital caught fire on Monday.

    The fire, which destroyed the administrative block of the filling station and dispensing pumps, was put out by some fire service personnel.

    Speaking on the fire, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service in the state, Mr. Ayodele Ajulo,  attributed it to the heat in the underground tank.

    Ajulo advised filling stations operators to be extremely careful while offloading fuel from tankers into their underground tanks, especially during this period of extreme heat.

    ” We always tell people to be extremely cautious during this period. The hot weather makes it easy for fire to erupt from anything inflammable.

    “It is important for people, especially filling station operators, to take all necessary precautions and also have enough fire extinguishers around in case of any emergency,” he said.

    He commended the concerned residents that cooperated with fire fighters to quench the inferno, thanking God that no life was lost.

    Also, Mr Abiodun Adelekun, a resident in the area,   said that some youths in the araea had to come out en masse to ensure that the fire was put out to prevent it from spreading to other buildings within the vicinity.

    “The fire started when the tanker was offloading its content into the underground tanks. All we heard was a bang and we saw fire everywhere coming out of the tanker.

    “We came out to assist the fire fighters to save our houses,” he said.

    He urged the state government to discourage having petrol stations in clustered areas, adding that it was not the best.

    “If not for the fire service today and the support of youths from this area, the fire would have escalated beyond control,” he said.

    An elder who has a shop beside the filling station, Mr. Asabari Elelubo, said the loud noise he heard when the fire started sent shivers down his spine.

    “When I heard the loud noise, I nearly fainted. I had to first run to safety. The panic from the fire which caught my shop seven months ago is still in me and it made this more frightening.

    “I am glad the fire service and the youth were able to contain it before it extended to surrounding houses,” he said.

  • Tragedy: 2 die in early morning accident in Akure

    Tragedy: 2 die in early morning accident in Akure

    Tragedy struck at dawn on Wednesday in Akure, when a commercial motorcyclist conveying a passenger to the hospital crashed into a stationary truck resulting in the death of the two.

    The accident, which occurred at 5.45 a.m., on the Airport Road, Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, later attracted motorists, commercial motorcyclists and passersby who gathered to mourn the loss.

    A source, who did not want his name mentioned, told NAN that the accident occurred opposite the residence of Chief Olu Falae in Akure.

    The source said that, a truck owned by a block-making industry broke down beside the road two days ago, but was not moved.

    “The commercial motorcyclist who was coming from the Oba-Ile axis and going to Akure with full speed hit the stationary vehicle,” the source said.

    Another source said that the commercial motorcyclist came to Oba-Ile from Akure to convey a passenger, who was ill, to the hospital before the tragedy occurred.

    “The commercial motorcyclist was one of our colleagues living in Akure. He came to pick a brother, who had been sick for some time, to the hospital.

    “The motorcycle did not have any lights and the rider only used a touch to illuminate the darkness before the accident happened

    “The commercial motorcyclist and his passenger died on the spot after hitting the truck in spite of the ‘C caution’ and some blocks placed on the road” the source said.

    SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ondo State, who confirmed the incident to NAN, said that the corpses had been deposited at the morgue at the specialist hospital, Akure.

    Odunlami-Omisanya advised motorists to always exercise caution whenever they were behind the wheels.

    “What happened was that the stationary vehicle was parked on the roadside because it had a mechanical fault. It was the commercial motorcyclist that ran into the vehicle.

    “Everybody needs to be careful. I cannot, however, confirm whether the motorcyclist was on high speed or not,” the PPRO said.

  • BREAKING: Fire Razes Araromi spare parts market in Ibadan

    BREAKING: Fire Razes Araromi spare parts market in Ibadan

    Popular Araromi spare parts market in Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Saturday.

    The market is one of the most important in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

    According to monitored reports, the fire, which began around 2 a.m., affected approximately forty-five (45) stores.

    The incident was confirmed by the Oyo State Fire Service.

    Rev. Canon, General Manager of the State Fire Service On Saturday, Yemi Akinyinka said that men from the command were able to put out the fire around 5 a.m.

    Akinyinka said: “Our men are at Araromi Market Agodi Gate since 2:30 a.m. where they are putting of the fire caused by indiscriminate refuse burning.

    “The fire was suppressed at 5:00 a.m. Cooling down operation is ongoing to suppress reignition. On my way for on the spot assessment.

    “I cannot say specifically the number of shops now, you know it is an emergency. It started in the night. About 45 shops”.

  • Fire guts Onitsha market, destroys 3 chemical shops

    Fire guts Onitsha market, destroys 3 chemical shops

    An early morning blaze on Saturday gutted Ose Main Market in Onitsha, Anambra, destroying three shops where drums of chemicals were stored.

    The incident is contained in a statement signed by the Director/Fire Chief of Anambra Fire Service, Mr. Martin Agbili, and made available to newsmen in Onitsha.

    According to the statement, at about 1.02 a.m. on Saturday, the Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call of fire outbreak at No 4 Ajasa Street, Ose Main Market, Onitsha, where they sell chemicals.

    “We immediately deployed our fire trucks and our ever ready and fearless firefighters to the fire scene.

    “We swift into action, battled the fire, controlled and fought is to a standstill.

    “The cause of the fire was unknown as nobody was there when it started. Although, the fire destroyed about three shops but no life was lost during the heavy fire”, he said.

    The fire chief said that a lot were saved as they prevented the fire from spreading to other shops around the fire incident scene.

    He stressed on the importance of always switching off our electrical and electronic appliances, especially when they are not in use.

    He urged the residents to be mindful of the fact that the nation was already in the harmattan season and implored them to avoid anything which could cause a fire outbreak.

  • Properties destroyed as tanker explosion rocks Oyo community

    Properties destroyed as tanker explosion rocks Oyo community

    A fully loaded petrol tanker lost control and rammed into a block of shops and thereafter burst into flames in the Apata area of Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday.

    The incident, it was gathered, happened at Apata Junction opposite Oando Filling Station, destroying many houses and shops.

    The fire, which started around 6.15 p.m led to traffic gridlock on the major Ibadan-Abeokuta Highway.

    A witness, who pleaded anonymity, said the tanker was coming from NNPC area before it lost control and rammed into the shops opposite the filling station.

    The numbers of shops and residential buildings affected by the fire were yet to be ascertained.

    However, it could not be immediately confirmed if there were casualties as at the time of filing this report.

    Meanwhile, the men of the state Fire Service were already at the scene battling to put out the fire.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Olawale Osifeso, confirmed the incident to NAN.

    Osifeso said the command had deployed enough security officers to the scene to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

    He said that update would be provided about the incident.

  • Just In: Fire outbreak at Defence Headquarters in Abuja

    Just In: Fire outbreak at Defence Headquarters in Abuja

    Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters on Monday was gutted by fire in Garki Abuja.

    The inferno, whose cause was yet to be ascertained, was said to have occurred on the second floor of the DHQ.

    The Director, Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, confirmed the incident.

    He said, “A minor fire incident occurred on the second floor of the Defence Headquarters, Garki Abuja this afternoon 12 December 2022. The cause of the fire outbreak is unknown at this moment.

    “However, the incident has been brought under control with the combined effort of the military and Federal Fire Service personnel and resources. All personnel and civilian staff were also evacuated without injury or loss of life.

    “Accordingly, normalcy has returned. Investigation to determine the cause of the fire incident commenced immediately.

    “We thank the Federal Fire Service and the entire public for the continued support and goodwill to the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

  • Abuja Conoil fire incident: FEMA reads riot act to filling stations

    Abuja Conoil fire incident: FEMA reads riot act to filling stations

    The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on Sunday in Abuja vowed to permanently shut down any filling station which flouts the extant regulations on products discharge.

    The Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, issued the warning while reacting to the fire outbreak at the Conoil filling station at Garki Area 10, in the Federal Capital City, which occurred on Saturday.

    The filling station was the third station to be gutted by fire within the last two weeks.

    Idriss disclosed that a task force would be constituted by the FCT Administration and would soon commence strict enforcement of the regulations on content discharge, safety of lives and properties of the residents.

    He blamed the fires at the three filling stations on non adherence to the regulations on content discharge, cautioning  that flouting the rules endangers the lives and properties of the residents of the FCT.

    Idriss said: ” The incessant fire out breaks at filling stations in the FCT are becoming increasingly worrisome.

    ”The major cause of the fire is non adherence to the given time of content discharge, which is preferably early morning or late evening periods.

    ” Some filling stations also lack adequate fire defence equipment that will serve as first aid before the responders turn up.

    ”Some do not have trained safety officers who are supposed to guide the operators at the filling stations.”

    The D-G said that the infernos penultimate week were as a result of wrong timing of content discharge which could be termed as deliberate negligence which the FCT Administration would no longer tolerate.

    He listed the ill-fated filling stations to include; A. A. RANO by Mpape junction along Kubwa expressway on Dec. 1, Danmarna filling station at FHA Lugbe on Dec. 7, and Conoil Filling station at Area 10, Garki on Saturday.

    The FEMA boss also attributed the fire outbreaks to the lingering fuel scarcity, which compelled station managers to commence the discharge of content immediately the tanker arrived the stations.

    Idriss also said that the FCT Administration would open up discussions with the relevant NNPC Departments, security agencies and other stakeholders to see how it could can strengthen the regulations.

    This, according to him, will ensure full compliance of the laws and regulations with the view to saving lives and properties.

    He commended the prompt response of the fire fighters especially the team from the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army and other stakeholders in fighting the Conoil Fire.

    Idriss also appreciated the security agencies for doing a great job by providing the needed security in order to prevent hoodlums from taking over the scene.

    He said: ” No lives were lost to the fire which started around 4,00p.m. on Saturday. Some vehicles parked within the premises of the station were however burnt along with the tanker discharging the fuel, as well as the station.

    ” No estimate of loss is done yet. FEMA is therefore calling on all petroleum industry stakeholders to always operate within the standard safety regulations in the discharge of all petroleum contents either in the morning or evening.

    ”And also to make adequate provision for functional fire defence equipment with adequate trained manpower to handle any unlikely situation.

    ”In case of any emergency, FEMA response team could be reached 24/7 by calling the National Toll Free Emergency Number 112 for prompt response.”