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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