Fallen cable kills woman, sister in Lagos

A high-tension cable fell on a house and electrocuted a woman and her younger sister on Tuesday morning at Olumokun Street, in the Amukoko area of Lagos.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the cable fell on the residence at about 3am, and subsequently sparked fire, which made many of its occupants to flee for safety.

Our correspondent gathered that a woman, identified simply as Mama Ibrahim, with her 12-year-old younger sister, simply called Fatima, were however unlucky as they held on to an iron rod being used for canopy which had already gained current.

It was further gathered that Fatima, who came from Niger State to Lagos on a visit, was the first to hold onto the iron pole and she was electrocuted.

In a bid to rescue her sister, Mama Ibrahim was said to have attempted to pull the teenager off during which she was also electrocuted.

On Tuesday morning when other residents got wind of the deaths, tears flowed freely from their faces as they thronged the residence where the cable had fallen.

An eyewitness, who declined to mention her name, told PUNCH Metro that the fire generated by the spark nearly spread to other houses but was eventually put off.

She said, “There is a transformer close to the veranda of the affected house. As the electricity sparked on top of the roof, the metre also exploded, and generated fire. The neighbours quickly rushed out to put it off.”

Our correspondent further learnt that policemen from the Amukoko Police Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, also came to the scene to put the situation under control, but the victims had already died.

It was gathered that when some officials of the electricity distribution company came to the area, some youths attempted to lynch them for what they described as the officials’ negligence, but for the intervention of the police.

The Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Lelma Kolle, promised to call our correspondent back. He had, however, yet to do so as of the time of going to press.