The tragedy was averted at Ijero Ekiti, Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State, on Tuesday as sympathizers rescued six children unhurt when fired razed down a section of Owa Ajero’s palace in the community.
GIOTV gathered the six children of Owa Ajero, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, who were trapped in their quarters when the inferno started around 4 pm before they were evacuated by whiskers.
Narrating how the incident occurred, Olori Christianah Adewole, disclosed the fire suddenly surged from a section of the palace called Abokoaye and burnt the entire rooms therein.
Olori Adewole added that the four-bedroom flat was destroyed and it took the intervention of sympathizers to rescue six children who were inside the rooms in the bungalow.
She said some visitors who came to the palace noticed the thick smoke from that section and raised the alarm before sympathizers came to quench it and prevented the inferno from spreading to the first floor of the one -storey building and the adjoining buildings
“The fire started around 4 pm and the thick smoke billowing showed that it had started long before the people noticed it.
“The rooms and other accessories inside were destroyed and for the help of the people, the children inside were evacuated through the windows”.
Governor Kayode Fayemi, who paid a visit to the monarch, commiserated with Oba Adewole over the destruction.
The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Biodun Omoleye visited the palace for on- the- spot assessment of the damaged palace and sympathized with the monarch over the fire incident.
Fayemi assured the monarch of the government’s support to rebuild the damaged section and renovate other areas that needed rehabilitation.
He said: “I hope and believe very soon, some help will come from the government to the palace of Ijero kingdom.
“It is our prayer that such an unfortunate incident will never happen again in this palace. We pray that this will be a stepping stone for the transformation of the entire palace.”
Oba Adewole, who expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost during the inferno, lauded Fayemi for the visit and the planned support from the government.