A fire broke out on Friday in a building located in the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, News About Nigeria has learnt.
The incident happened around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023, after the palace’s electricity supply was restored.
The power restoration led to a surge that caused electrical appliances to explode.
According to Moses Olafare, the Ooni’s spokesperson, the fire only affected one building in the courtyard fortunately and did not spread to other parts of the palace.
The combined efforts of the State Fire Service and Obafemi Awolowo University Fire Department successfully put out the fire, and no casualties or injuries were reported.
In a statement released on Saturday, Olafare explained that the blaze was caused by a power surge that triggered an explosion in the affected apartment’s electrical appliances.
The fire did not spread beyond the affected building, which is located in one section of the palace premises.
The Palace Emergency Control Unit and the two fire services managed to swiftly extinguish the inferno.
Thankfully, no cultural items were lost, and no injuries or casualties were recorded. The Ooni’s spokesperson expressed gratitude to God for averting a potential disaster.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of being cautious when handling electrical appliances and dealing with power surges.
It also highlights the need to have functional emergency response systems and protocols in place to ensure swift responses to emergencies.
Concerned Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the incident.
