Tragedy: Mother electrocuted, two children hospitalised in Ogun market

A mother of two, Ujunwa Okechukwuma, was electrocuted on Wednesday evening while her two children, identified simply as Louis and Onyinyechi, are currently battling for their lives in the hospital following a spark at an electric transformer located inside a market in the Mowe area of Ogun State.

Though some members of the community told PUNCH Metro correspondents who visited the market Thursday morning that three people died, including a pregnant woman, the state police command said only Okechukwuma was electrocuted and five others sustained injuries, including her two children.

PUNCH Metro reports that other victims of the electric incident include Shuaib Saheed, Zainab Babatunde, and Okiki Azeez, who sustained varying degrees of injury due to the spark at the transformer.

Our correspondent learnt from the locals that the officials of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company had warned shop owners of some electric cables that had fallen on the rooftops of some shops, not far from where an electric pole was mounted due to a recent rainstorm, to steer clear of the location.

One of the traders who resides in the area and witnessed the sad event, Mrs Aina Oloponda, told our correspondent, “They (IBEDC officials) said the rainstorm had cut down a high-tension cable, causing it to fall on the rooftop of some shops. They came to fix something on it about a few hours before the spark. About 30 minutes after they left the place, power was restored.

“We were surprised when they restored the power supply when some poles had fallen and all the cables were still wet. Not long after people raised this concern, the spark occurred, people started to scream. Three people died, and many others are in the hospital.”

Meanwhile, another eyewitness, Mrs Akinremi Bisi, said the IBEDC officials had advised the shop owners to desist from displaying their wares very close to the electric poles and advised them of the danger associated with placing an iron roof under the poles. Punch