A fallen high tension wire has electrocuted six people in Oworonshoki area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria. The incident happened in the early hours of today while it was raining.
The tragedy occurred at Onabanjo Street, Oworonshoki around 2.00am. It was gathered that the
high tension wire cut into two as a result of the heavy rain.
The high tension wire cut and fell across a drainage channel and caught fire when it came in contact with wood. Two vehicles parked beside the wood were burnt by the fire ignited by the wood.
The incident occurred in front of houses on number 6 to 10 on the street. While the fire that burnt the vehicles was raging, residents raise the alarm for others to escape from the scene.
The victims who were electrocuted did not know what was happening when they ran out of their houses ran in a bid to escape and stepped on the naked wire.
Others who were injured were rushed to the hospital.
According to an eye witness:
“people ran away from their houses in different directions and stepped on the high tension wire and they were immediately electrocuted. It was about 30 minutes later that electricity supply was cut off after the tragedy had occurred.”
He said among the six people who died were a woman with her three children and another pregnant woman with a child.
Another drama played out at the scene as the husband of the woman said to have lost his wife and three children drank poison and had been rushed to Afolabi Hospital in the area.
An eye witness gave the names of those who died as Iya Fatima, who died with her child and Iya Jonathan, who was pregnant and died with her children, adding that another boy, called Basit was also electrocuted.
According to him, the deceased were taken to the mortuary of a hospital in Yaba as they were rejected at the Gbagada General Hospital.
Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe confirmed the incident to reporters.
He said those who died included two female, including a pregnant woman and three teenagers, saying that the fire was prevented from spreading to nearby buildings.
Source: pm news
