Fire razes shopping complex in Kwara

At least 22 rooms were affected in a fire broke out on Saturday afternoon at Alhaji Haruna Kannike Shopping Complex, Ipata in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The fire which which was said to have been caused by a power surge resulted in the destruction of goods such as beds beddings, furniture, electronics and cooking utensils.

Head of Media and Publicity, Hassan Adekunle of the Kwara State Fire Service, in a statement, shed light on the incident.

“On Saturday, 14th December 2024, at 13:10 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service responded promptly to a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Alhaji Haruna Kannike Shopping Complex, Ipata Market, Ilorin, Kwara State.

“A fire truck and crew arrived swiftly at the scene to combat the blaze in the two-storey building housing 25 shops and 44 rooms. Upon arrival, the fire had already engulfed some rooms on the upper floor,” he said.

He also said, , “The firefighters contained the blaze, extinguished it completely, and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the market.

“While 22 rooms were affected, 22 others and all 25 shops were successfully saved.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that parts of Ilorin had experienced a power outage lasting nearly five days. Shortly after electricity was restored by IBEDC, a power surge occurred, igniting the fire on the upper floor.”