A fire has destroyed a mini store in the pharmacy department of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
It was gathered that the incident, which occurred on Sunday at about 7:31 pm, was caused by excessive buildup of heat from an air conditioner that had been left running since Friday.
Hassan Adekunle, the head of the department of media and publicity, state fire service, confirmed the development and said that preliminary investigations showed the fire started in an office where an air conditioner had been left running since Friday, causing an excessive buildup of heat that ultimately caused the fire to break out.
“On Sunday, April 14, 2024, at about 19:31 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service swiftly responded to a fire incident at Building 7, last floor, specifically at the Pharmacy mini-store of the Unilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
“Upon arrival, the fire crew immediately began efforts to contain the blaze and prevent further damage. The building, a two-storey structure housing 12 wards, two pharmacies, a side lab, and cash offices, was fortunately spared from extensive destruction, with only an office and the pharmacy mini-store affected by the fire.
“Investigations revealed that the fire originated from an office where an air conditioner had been left running since Friday, causing excessive heat buildup and leading to the outbreak.
“The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety at all times, urging the general public to remain vigilant and proactive in preventing such incidents in the future.”