A fire outbreak on Thursday night gutted a female hostel annexe at Gombe State University, causing panic among students and leaving three hospitalised.
The bungalow-shaped building, located within the campus, was reportedly engulfed in flames suspected to have been triggered by a cooking gas explosion.
Confirming the incident on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Gombe Command, Assistant Superintendent of Fire, Bashir Muazu, described the outbreak as “unfortunate.”
Muazu said, “It was caused by LPG, cooking gas. Based on preliminary investigation, it was caused by unattended cooking by a student.”
He explained that while no fatalities were recorded, three students were rushed to the hospital—two for anxiety and one for smoke inhalation.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that the university had only recently lifted a long-standing ban on the use of gas cylinders in hostels, which had previously restricted students to kerosene stoves for safety reasons.
Some students who spoke under anonymity expressed disappointment over the handling of the incident, blaming the lack of functional firefighting facilities on campus. One student lamented, “The fire could have been put out quickly if the school’s fire service was functioning well.”
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of Gombe State University, Hadu Naphtali, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the State Controller of the Federal Fire Service, DCF S.M. Sulaiman, advised the university management to reinstate the ban on LPG cylinders in hostels to forestall future disasters.
“This decision is aimed at preventing future accidents and ensuring the safety of students. The Command is committed to working closely with the University Management to enhance fire safety measures and prevent such incidents in the future,” the advisory stated.
Sulaiman further urged students, staff, and the public to prioritise fire safety and report hazardous situations promptly.
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