But for the love of the
round leather game, Mr. Ete James would probably still be alive today. Perhaps,
the worst that would have happened to him was suffer the pains of a
brief
illness and leap out of his sick bed after a day or two.
But the curiosity and excitement of watching how the televised football
match between Manchester United and FC Anderlecht would be decided prompted the
ailing soccer fan to leave his house and dash to the nearby popular make-shift
viewing centre on Nsak Effiom Street in Nyakassang community in Calabar, Cross
River State, especially on hearing that his favourite team had scored.
Sadly, he did not make it back. He was among the seven persons
electrocuted, when a high tension cable cut from an electric pole and fell on
the recreational joint on Thursday after one of the transformers in the area
exploded.
Another 20 people were reportedly injured in the tragedy in which 30
people were initially said to have died.
Bereaved son to the deceased, Akaniyene Edem James, said: “My father was
not feeling very well, but when he heard that Manchester United had scored, he
decided to go and watch the game and then went and met his untimely death.”
Akaniyene added: “The family is very devastated and we don’t even know
where to start from. It’s only God that will help us.”
The fatal explosion, which occurred about 10:00pm Thursday night, was
said to have ignited a fire in which surviving victims suffered varying degrees
of burns.
According to the sun news, an eye-witness, Ndabo Enobong Dominic, said when the transformer
exploded, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC, cut off power
supply to the area, causing the soccer buffs, numbering about 60, to tell the
operator to put on his generating set. He did and they resumed enjoying the
match. However, when the PHEDC later restored power, there was a surge causing
sparks that resulted in the fire which engulfed and destroyed the make-shift
structure reportedly made of zinc.
“They have been having issues with electricity for some time in the
community, as about three poles had fallen. On that fateful day, PHEDC took
light when the people were busy watching the match, which started at 7:45pm.
When there was a spark from the transformer that serves the community, one of
the cables from the high tension pole on top of the building fell on the
viewing centre, which was made of zinc.
“But determined to watch the match, the football fans insisted that the
operator of the centre must put on his generating set, which he did. A few
minutes after, PHEDC brought light again and because of the power surge the
whole building was red-hot with red current.
“In an attempt to escape, most of people inside the centre started
rushing out and in the process some were electrocuted while some were injured,”
Dominic said.
One of those confirmed dead was a pastor of the Mt Zion Light House Full
Gospel Church, Nyakassang Assembly, Elder James Edem Akpan.
Residents rushed the injured ones to hospitals around the city including
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH.
One of the survivors, Mr Albert Nsan, told Saturday Sun: “When the thing
happened there was commotion inside the hall, but I decided to stand still and
later tip-toed to the edge of the door from where a friend helped me get out of
the place. When I came out, I discovered that the fire had affected the tips of
my toes. I was rushed to UCTH, but I could not be admitted, because they said
they didn’t have space and my case wasn’t serious. Later my people took me to a
private clinic, where I was treated and discharged. I thank God I am still
alive.”
Also narrating his ordeal, Godswill Bassey Okon, whose compound was
adjacent to the viewing centre, said: “I lost my uncle, Emmanuel Edet Okon, who
was everything to me as well as two other tenants, while two others escaped
death by the whiskers.
“The transformer has been problematic for a while and we have got used to
it and so, we were not surprised whenever it sparked, except this terrible one.
When the incident happened, I rushed my uncle out and tried to revive him, not knowing that he was
dead.”
Chief Medical Director of UCTH, Prof Thomas Agan, said: “A total of 18
patients were brought to the hospital from the electric cable burns site on
Thursday night. Seven were brought in
dead, while 11 who were alive are being treated and are stable. One is in
Intensive care Unit, ICU just as others are being moved to the ward.”
Mourning the victims of the viewing centre tragedy, the state governor,
Professor Ben Ayade, ordered immediate setting up of a commission of inquiry to
probe the incident.
Ayade, represented by his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, during a visit to the
community, commiserated with the residents before visiting the victims at the
Accident and Emergency Care Unit of UCTH, yesterday morning. He described the
incident “as tragic and horrifying.”
He said the state government would also offer assistance to the victims
and their families, adding that all houses built under the high tension cable
in the state would be demolished by the government to avoid a recurrence.
Reacting, the spokesman of PHEDC, Mr John Onyi, said it was the UNICAL
11kv feeder that fell about 10:00pm directly on top of the roof of the viewing
centre that caused the incident.
He blamed non-observance of town planning laws for the tragedy,
stressing: “buildings are supposed to be 12.5 metres away from high tension
cables. But in this instance, that procedure was not adhered to by the owner of
the viewing centre. For now, we have disconnected light from the community
pending when technical investigation will be carried out to ascertain what
happened.”
While we await the outcome of the investigation, our customers are
advised to remain calm, law abiding and accord our men the necessary
cooperation to unravel the cause of the unfortunate incident.
Meanwhile, Manchester United FC of England has sent condolences to the
families of the Thursday night’s tragedy
“Our thoughts go out to the Manchester United fans, their friends and
families affected by the tragedy yesterday in Calabar, Nigeria,’’ the club
wrote on its Twitter handle on Friday
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