Three Students Hospitalised After Cooking Gas Explosion at Gombe State University Hostel

Panic swept through Gombe State University on Thursday night after a fire outbreak gutted a female hostel annexe, leaving three students hospitalised.

The blaze, which engulfed the bungalow-shaped annexe within the campus, was suspected to have been triggered by a cooking gas explosion.

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Gombe Command, Assistant Superintendent of Fire, Bashir Muazu, described the incident as “unfortunate.”

“It was caused by LPG, cooking gas. Based on preliminary investigation, it was caused by unattended cooking by a student,” Muazu explained.

He added that while no lives were lost, three students were rushed to the hospital.

“Some went in for anxiety and the other for inhaling the smoke from the inferno,” he said.

Our correspondent learnt that the university had only recently lifted a long-standing ban on the use of gas cylinders in hostels. For years, students were restricted to kerosene stoves due to safety concerns.

Some students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, criticised the institution’s preparedness, lamenting that poor fire service facilities worsened the situation.

“The fire could have been put out quickly if the school’s fire service was functioning well,” one student complained.

Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of Gombe State University, Hadu Naphtali, proved unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the State Controller of the Federal Fire Service, DCF S.M. Sulaiman, has advised the university management to urgently reinstate the ban on LPG cylinders in hostels to avert future tragedies.

“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 all students, staff, and members of the public to prioritise fire safety and promptly report hazardous situations to the relevant authorities.