Residents of Lawyer Lambo Street, Oloje Phase 2, Ilorin, Kwara State, have rescued a newborn baby and the child’s parents from a fire that razed three buildings.
Several residential buildings and properties were affected by the fire outbreak.
Hakeem Adekunle, spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, who confirmed the incident, said residents rescued the newborn and the parents from their apartment, which was already engulfed in flames.
Adekunle said, “The Fire Service received a distress call and arrived at the scene at 2:41 am.”
He added that the fire affected two buildings containing four-bedroom flats each and a third building comprising a self-contained room-and-parlour apartment.
According to him, the self-contained apartment was severely affected, but the occupants, who had recently welcomed a newborn, were rescued by members of the community.
Adekunle said preliminary findings indicated that the fire was caused by the collapse of a concrete pole supporting a 33kV electricity transmission line.
He explained that the impact reportedly generated sparks that affected nearby properties and electrical appliances, triggering the fire.
The spokesperson said the Fire Service contacted the control room of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, to request the shutdown of the electricity feeder supplying the affected area.
He explained that the measure was necessary to ensure a safer environment for firefighters to contain the blaze and manage the emergency.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, sympathised with the affected residents over their losses and warned members of the public against erecting buildings, shops and other structures directly beneath high-tension electricity transmission lines.