A widow, identified simply as Mary, and her son, Prince, have been electrocuted by a dangling high-tension cable at Eruemukohwarien community in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The cable was said to have fallen on the rooftop of a market stall on Friday when tragedy struck.
The sudden breakage reportedly sparked a fire that engulfed both Mary and Prince, throwing the entire community into grief.
Worried residents lamented that the high-tension cable, owned by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, was still left dangling as of Saturday morning.
Aggrieved community members, while expressing concerns over the outdated nature of the BEDC cables in the area, emphasised the urgent need for an overhaul of the wires rather than repairs.
The Community Secretary General, Kingsley Emomate, appealed to the distribution company to replace obsolete cables in the community.
He said, “It is truly a pitiable and sympathetic incident. It is very unfortunate that lives have been lost. We experienced a similar tragedy over a year ago, when we lost three community members. This recurring loss of lives due to poor electrical materials provided by BEDC is unacceptable.
“I urge the government to intervene and ensure the replacement of these aged cables that have been in use for over 40 years.”
Also speaking on the incident, a community member, who identified herself as Prevail, blamed the BEDC for failing to replace the cables just as she pleaded with the government to step in to prevent a recurrence of such calamity.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.
