Calabar electrocution: Agency begins investigation, FIFA, Man Utd, PHEDC mourn, police confirm seven dead

The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has commenced full investigation to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the electrocution of seven people in a television viewing centre in Calabar, Cross River State on Thursday.
The Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Mr Peter  Ewesor, announced this in Abuja on Friday.
The police said seven people died while 11 were hospitalised after a high tension electric cable fell on a zinc structure where football fans were watching Manchester United in a Europa quarter finals match against Anderlecht.
The incident happened around 9.30 p.m. at Nyagasang area of Atimbo in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of the state.
Ewesor, who is also the Managing Director of the agency, described the incident as “unfortunate’’.
“Our field engineers are already there. I am equally on the way to the place now for us to go and find out actually what happened, how it happened and how we can prevent future occurrence.
“Presently, we are mourning with the family of the deceased; however, we will be able to make concrete statement to the nation after the investigation.
“When things like this happen, as painful as they are, we should be on guard to prevent further occurrences,’’ he said.
He said the investigation would assist the agency to find out what led to the mishap.
He said NEMSA had always been sincere with investigation of this nature.
According to him, the agency’s report on a similar incident that killed a student of University of Lagos recently remains transparent.
“ You remember the issue that happened in university of Lagos; it was equally a similar thing when the breakable cable dropped directly on a female student of the institution.
“We were able to make a firm statement at that time, after we had visited and reviewed the incidence and carried out our test,’’ he said.
Ewesor, however, said NEMSA had initiated measures to avert electrical accidents in the country.
“For us to prevent this kind of situation, we had actually given so many instructions and directive to the industry in the area of using quality and standard electrical materials,’’ he said.
According to him, the use of sub-standard materials contributes to electrical accidents.
He also said non adherence to rules on electrical installation by professionals and consumers were responsible for some of the electrical accidents.
He said staff in its 17 field offices had been involved in monitoring and evaluation of existing networks across the country.
“They go round the network to see those ones that are in bad shape which we call high risk network that are about to cause accident.
“ When we discover that, we do a memo to the DISCO concern for appropriate steps to remedy the situation,’’ Ewesor said
He said NEMSA had been encouraging the DISCOs to embark on standard construction of electrical installations and the need to monitor their network.
Ewesor said it was better for operators to spend their money to repair damaged network than to spend the money to pay compensation.
Meanwhile, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has expressed sadness over the death of the football fans.
“FIFA is deeply saddened by the deaths of several football fans in Calabar and offer our deepest condolences to family and friends of the victims,” the world football body wrote on its Twitter handle on Friday.
United won the game 2-1 and qualified for the semi-finals of the competition.
United will face Spanish side, Celta Vigo, in the semi-finals, while Ajax of Netherlands will meet Lyon of France.
Manchester United FC of England also sent condolences to the families of the deceased.
“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.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Mr. Kingsley Achife, also commiserated with families and friends of the deceased.
Mr John Onyi, the Head, Corporate communications of PHEDC in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said that Achife sympathised with those who sustained various degrees of injuries during the incident.
He said that seven persons were electrocuted while 11 others sustained injuries, following the incident as against the reports in the media that said 30 persons were electrocuted with 50 others injured.
“It will be recalled that UNICAL 11kv feeder snapped yesterday night at Akpanden Street, Atimbo, Calabar, resulting to the death of 7 persons and 11 others injured.
“The corpses have been deposited in the mortuary, while the survivors are currently receiving medical attention at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital,” he said
Achife expressed displeasure over the incident and said that the affected feeder had been isolated to ensure that lives and properties were secured in the area.
According to him, an investigation team has been constituted with a view to finding out the remote and immediate causes of the accident.
“Our heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families. May God give the families the courage to bear the loss.
“We also sympathise with those who sustained injuries and wish them quick recovery”, he said.
He called on residents of the area to remain calm, law abiding and accord the investigation team the necessary support.
Achife commended law enforcement agencies that responded quickly and ensure that the victims were taken to the hospital.
He urged electricity consumers to always adhere to safety rules by not erecting any structure under high tension lines.
The Cross River Police Command confirmed seven people dead and 11 hospitalised in the incident.
Mr Hafiz Inuwa, the state Commissioner of Police, gave the numbers at a news conference on Friday in Calabar.
Inuwa said that the briefing became necessary, following some reports in some national dailies and online blogs that over 30 persons died in the tragic incident.
“To put the record straight, 18 persons were affected by the incident and taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
“From the records available to us, seven people died on arrival, 10 are in the emergency ward of the hospital while one victim is currently at the intensive care unit of the same hospital.
“The false reports out there are alarming. This press conference will put an end to the rumours out there that over 30 persons died.
“People should stop spreading falsehood in sensitive issues like this. The earlier reports that over 30 persons died and about 50 escaped death is false,”  he said.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Government said it would foot the medical bills of hospitalised victims.
The Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, announced the gesture when he visited some of the victims at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) on Friday.
Esu stated that seven persons died in the incident, which happened when electric cables from a high tension installation fell on the make-shift beer parlour used a viewing centres during football matches.
He said that the dead were among 18 injured who were taken to the teaching hospital, adding that 10 of them were responding to treatment while one was in the intensive care unit.
He described the incident as `painful’, but said that there had been misinformation about the casualty figure.
According to him, from what I have been briefed by the hospital management, seven persons died here in UCTH.
“Some persons said that some of the victims were taken to private hospitals and native homes for treatment, but what we can confirm from UCTH is that seven persons died out of the tragedy.
“The government is going to take full responsibility for their treatment,’’ he said.
The deputy governor said that the state would set up a commission of inquiry to ascertain the real cause of the problem.
“The Commissioner for Lands and Housing has been mandated to investigate why the building was erected directly under the high tension.
“ We are still trying to trace where the other victims were taken to; what we can account for now are those in UCTH,’’ he said.
The Head of Emergency Response Team in UCTH, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, told newsmen that the victims were in stable condition and responding to treatment.
Some of the victims in the hospital sustained injuries on their legs, hands and head region.
One of them, Mr Douglas Ibok, said that the he went into the viewing centre at the 80th minute of the match and immediately the explosion, which was like a bomb, occurred.
“As soon as I stepped into the viewing centre, paid and sat down, I heard a very loud sound in form of a bomb.
“As soon as the cable sparked, all the persons inside the viewing centre were unable to move or speak because of the electrocution. I only woke up to realise that I am in a hospital,’’ he said.
Another victim, Mr Benedict Okon, said that the viewing centre had been his regular centre for watching foreign and local matches for a long time.
Okon, a motor mechanic, said “I am very happy that the state government has promised to pay our medical bills because it would have been difficult for me at this point.’’