607 fire disaster cases recorded in Oyo in 2012

NO fewer than 607 cases of fire disaster were recorded in Oyo State last year, the Director of Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Kareem Oyekunle, has said.

Oyekunle, in an interview with reporters, said that 38 people lost their lives while 48 were rescued by officials of the state fire service. The fire service boss added that property worth over N1 billion were lost to the inferno while an estimated property worth N828 billion were saved.

While lamenting the frequent fire disasters in the state, Oyekunle said the fire service had so far responded to 46 emergencies in the New Year, which is just two weeks old.

He noted that the extent of losses recorded in last week’s fire incident at the Alaafin of Oyo’s palace was still being collated, adding that his personnel had so far this year saved property worth about N430 million from fire incidents while N3.4 million worth of property were destroyed.