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A dark cloud has fallen over the Laduba community in Ilorin, Kwara State, following a horrific fire that claimed the lives of three young children.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 6:46 p.m., gutted parts of a storey building located at No. 1 Popo Street, near Ojere Junction.
According to reports from the Kwara State Fire Service, the disaster was entirely avoidable. It was triggered by the dangerous practice of keeping fuel inside a living space.
Investigators found that a woman had stored about 50 litres of petrol (PMS) inside a shop where her children were sleeping. While the children slept, another woman was using a charcoal stove in the shop next door.
Disaster struck when sparks from the charcoal fire drifted toward the fuel, causing a massive explosion. The fire quickly spread, trapping the children inside.
The victims have been identified as 8-year-old Abdulraman Jamiu Jeje, 17-year-old Islamiya Abdulwahab (the shop owner's daughter), and 17-year-old Hadizah AbdulAzeez Raji.
A brave passerby who tried to rescue the children before the fire service arrived was also injured and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Hassan Adekunle, the spokesperson for the state fire service, confirmed that while the building has five rooms and six shops, three of the ground-floor shops were completely destroyed by the inferno.
Reacting to the tragedy, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, expressed deep sadness. He described the deaths as a "heartbreaking and avoidable" loss.
He issued a stern warning to the public to stop the habit of petrol storage in homes or shops. He reminded residents that fuel is highly volatile and can explode with even the tiniest spark.
The community is currently in mourning as the remains of the children have been handed over to the community chairman for burial rites.
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