By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A female housemaid negligently set a four-bedroom flat of her employer ablaze on Thursday in Ilorin.
The incident was confirmed by a statement issued by Hassan Adekunle, Head of the Department of Media and Publicity, Kwara Fire Service.
Adekunle said the maid was trying to light the gas cooker while liquefied gas had already saturated the kitchen.
According to him, the incident happened at about 10.42 a.m. at No. 6, Phase 1, off Baba-Soja Street, Akerebiata, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara.
“After several attempts to strike matches while the liquefied gas had already saturated the kitchen, the ignition finally occurred, causing an explosion that led to the fire outbreak,” he said.
He said while the house was severely damaged, the maid, though caught up in the fire outbreak, was unharmed.
“The fire crew responded immediately to prevent further destruction and upon arrival, the firefighters encountered a four-bedroom flat bungalow fully engulfed in flames.
“The fire officers tried containing the fire and preventing it from spreading to adjacent buildings; it was eventually extinguished due to the expertise of the fire officers,” he said.
The spokesperson of the fire service said the Director of Kwara Fire Service, Prince Falade John, expressed his sympathy to those affected, urging the public to adhere strictly to safety precautions.
According to Adekunle, the director emphasised the importance of striking matches before turning on gas appliances to prevent similar incidents in the future.