Five persons, including a pregnant woman were
electrocuted on Thursday in Lagos, Nigeria after a
PHCN high-tension cable fell, causing fire
and explosion.
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An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) that the incident happened around 2.00
a.m. at Oworonshoki, Lagos. The source said
that fire broke out when the cable fell on a
Toyota Camry car loaded with petroleum
products. The victims rushed out of their homes
when they heard the explosion and ran into the
live cable unknowingly. “As they rushed out, they
all embraced the cable in front of their house and
they were electrocuted. The corpses were taken
to Yaba General Hospital by policemen from
Oworonshoki and some residents of the area.
“The husband of the pregnant woman, who also
lost a son, attempted to commit suicide by
drinking a poisonous substance but was
however, prevented by neighbours. “The youths in
the area prevented PHCN workers from coming to
the scene because they blamed the electricity
company for the deaths,’’ the source told NAN.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr
Rasak Fadipe, confirmed the incident, saying that
the victims included three teenagers, a pregnant
woman and another woman. Fadipe said that the
high-tension cable fell on the car parked on the
street with jerrycans of petroleum products, noting
that he got the information at about 2.50
a.m. The director said that his men were able to
contain the fire from spreading to nearby
buildings. Efforts to speak with the PHCN
Ikeja Distribution Zone’s Public Relations Officer,
Mr Pekun Adeyanju, proved abortive as he did not
respond to calls. However, NAN correspondent
saw policemen from the Oworonshoki Division
deployed to the scene to prevent breakdown of
law and order.
