23rd July, 2014
Cyriacus Izuekwe
A high tension wire last night fell on top of some houses and razed them down in Ejigbo area of Lagos State, western Nigeria.
A resident was electrocuted and more than 15 houses were burnt and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
The victim identified as Baba Sadiq was electrocuted while attempting to save his family.
Some of the injured residents are being treated at a hospital.
According to a resident, the incident happened in the night at about 11 p.m. when there was rain storm.
The high tension wire was said to have fallen off the wooden poles used to erect it because the pole had become weak over the years and could not hold the wire in place any longer.
The resident said that after the high tension wire fell, the transformer in the area exploded, wreaking havoc in streets such as Oboye, Fashola, Shawande, Aminatu, Ilo and others.
The residents blamed PHCN officials who have refused to replace the wooden poles with concrete poles.
A resident who is the CDA Chairman in the area, Chief Samuel Obende said this was not the first time a similar thing was happening in the area.
He said it happened in 2012 and caused great damage as properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
He said the community has written to the PHCN and pleaded with them to change the wooden poles which they promised but did not.
When our reporter visited the area this morning, the police from Ejigbo station were seen walking around to assess the extent of damage.
One of the officers said they have commenced investigation on the cause of the accident.
As at the time of filing this report, the PHCN officials had not visited the scene of the incident.