A raging inferno swept through Shril-Balaj Industrial Limited in the Olopomeji area of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Sunday, destroying property worth millions of naira and sending shockwaves through the industrial community.
According to eyewitness accounts, the fire erupted in the recycling section of the facility, which contained large volumes of highly flammable disused tyres. Within minutes, thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky as the flames engulfed the area, reducing valuable equipment and materials to ashes.
Confirming the incident, Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, disclosed that the blaze was triggered by an explosion from a running machine, which ignited surrounding combustibles and rapidly spread across the section.
“The fire incident was a result of the explosion of a running machine, which ignited nearby combustibles and set the section ablaze. The fire affected the recycling section and disused tyres,” Akinwande stated.
Despite the intensity of the fire, firefighters responded swiftly after receiving the distress call at 7:07 a.m., managing to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other critical parts of the factory. Their prompt intervention averted what could have been a total industrial catastrophe.
As the embers settle, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but insiders say millions of naira in machinery, raw materials, and infrastructure have been lost.
The management of Shril-Balaj Industrial Limited has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Meanwhile, safety experts are urging industries to conduct regular machine maintenance and enforce stricter fire prevention protocols to avoid similar disasters in the future.
This incident is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of industrial fires, especially in facilities where combustible materials are stored in bulk.
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