A Pharmaceutical Company in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, was gutted by fire on Tuesday, destroying property worth millions of naira, DAILY POST reports.

The fire incident occurred at about 11:55 hours at the Peace Pharmaceutical Company, opposite National Hajj Commission, along Ilorin West Local Government Secretariat, Kwara State capital.

According to the spokesman of the State fire service, Hassan Adekunle in Ilorin on Tuesday, the Kwara State Fire Service received an emergency call reporting a fire incident at Peace Pharmaceutical Company.

“The fire crew, upon receiving the distress call, promptly departed from the station with the fire appliance to attend to the situation.

“Upon arrival at the scene, the fire crew encountered a severe and rapidly spreading fire at the Peace Pharmaceutical Company.

“The firemen immediately commenced firefighting operations to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the company.

“Despite the scale of the disaster, the firemen who demonstrated their expertise and skill, successfully controlled and extinguished the fire with their knowledge and prowess in firefighting techniques,” he added.

Hassan said that during the incident, the Nigeria Police 'D' Division was also present to maintain order, and prevent any possible aggression from the mob and staff of the company towards the firemen.

The spokesman said investigation into the cause of the inferno revealed that it originated from the process of siphoning ethanol from an ethanol tanker to the company's ethanol reservoir.

“A spark emitted from the pumping machine and ignited the flammable liquid, leading to the outbreak of the fire.

“The unfortunate incident resulted in substantial damage to the Peace Pharmaceutical Company,” he further stated.

Director, Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa advised that to avoid similar incidents in the future, residents and property owners in the State should install and regularly maintain appropriate fire safety measures.