Children Playing with Gas Cylinder Cause Fire That Destroys Two Flats in Kwara
A fire outbreak has destroyed two flats in Kwara state after children reportedly played with a gas cylinder. Residents panicked as flames spread within a storey building on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Omu-Aran, on Monday, May 11. The Kwara Fire Service confirmed the incident and has warned parents about the unsafe handling of gas cylinders around children.
Residents of Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara state were thrown into panic after a fire outbreak, allegedly caused by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder, destroyed two flats in a residential building. The incident occurred at about 1 pm at Olayinka House, located along Ibrahim Taiwo Road in Omu-Aran.
A resident of the community, identified simply as Shola, who witnessed the incident, narrated that the fire started when some children were playing with a gas cylinder while their parents were away from home. According to him, the situation escalated within minutes and spread to parts of the building before residents could intervene.
Shola said, “People suddenly started shouting for help after smoke was seen coming out from the upstairs apartment. Before anyone could understand what was happening, the fire had already spread to two flats. The children were crying and running downstairs for help. Neighbours tried to assist, but the fire became too much to control. It was a passerby who eventually contacted the fire service.” He added that residents were worried the entire building would be consumed before firefighters arrived at the scene. “The fire was very serious, and many people feared the whole building would burn down because the flames were already spreading fast. We thank God the firefighters came quickly and stopped it from getting worse,” Shola added.
The Kwara state Fire Service also confirmed the incident during an interaction with Legit.ng, corroborating the eyewitness account. In a statement issued by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, the fire service disclosed that the incident involved a storey building containing four three-bedroom flats. “The incident involved a storey building consisting of four flats of three-bedroom apartments each. The fire affected two of the flats before it was successfully brought under control by firefighters at about 13:21hrs,” the statement read. The agency explained that preliminary findings showed the fire was caused by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder in the absence of their parents. “It was further gathered that when the fire became uncontrollable, the children ran downstairs crying for help before a passerby noticed the situation and alerted the Fire Service.”
The fire service noted that the prompt response of firefighters prevented the inferno from razing the entire building. “Thanks to the prompt response of firefighters, the remaining parts of the building were saved from destruction. No loss of life or injuries was recorded, as nobody sustained any injury during the incident,” the agency added.
Reacting to the development, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Mohammed, warned parents and guardians against leaving children unattended around cooking appliances and other flammable materials. He advised residents to keep gas cylinders, matches, and similar items away from minors to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Previous Fire Incident in Abuja
Previously, a fire outbreak gutted four out of five blocks of three-bedroom flats in Asokoro, Abuja, a property linked to former Zamfara State governor, Senator Ahmed Yerima. Emergency officials said the fire reportedly started from rooftop solar panels before spreading rapidly through the building. It destroyed household items such as furniture, clothing, and food supplies. Authorities confirmed that no lives were lost as firefighters and security agencies responded swiftly.
