Five persons, including a pregnant woman were electrocuted on Thursday in Lagos after a PHCN high-tension cable fell, causing fire and explosion.
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.
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