Properties worth more than N50 million were on Monday destroyed in a fire incident that gutted a warehouse in Omu-Aran, Kwara, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

An eyewitness told NAN that the warehouse, located on Aperan Way and behind a filling station, was stocked with foam and building materials.

It caught fire at about 4.15p.m. and raged for more than three hours before the arrival of fire fighters from Ilorin.

NAN reports that although no life was lost in the incident, police men from the Omu-Aran police division, assisted by some military personnel were on hand to maintain law and order in the area.

An Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent, Mallam Mustapha Ibrahim, who led the team of firemen, told NAN that he received a distress call at about 5.30p.m. and immediately headed to Omu-Aran.

He said that the intensity of the fire was due to the materials stocked in the warehouse which accounted for the huge losses incurred in the incident.

Ibrahim attributed the fire to a suspected electrical malfunction, adding that the non- availability of fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment in the premises also contributed to the huge losses incurred.

"We had on many occasions highlighted the importance of fire-fighting equipment, especially when dealing with volatile items such as this.

"You can never tell when any incidence of fire could happen; so it is ideal for offices, companies and organisations to take precautionary measures to minimise losses," Ibrahim said.

The divisional police officer in Omu-Aran, Mr Adamu Zawah, told NAN that the command had commenced investigation to unravel the cause of the fire.

Alhaji Rasak Jimoh, owner of the warehouse, said that he did not have insurance cover on the warehouse, adding that he was notified of the incident on phone and immediately raced to the scene.

"I had just finished praying when somebody called me to notify me of the fire incident and I immediately rushed to the warehouse," he said.

Jimoh appealed to the government for assistance to cushion the effect of the fire incident.