A widow, simply identified as Mary, and her son, Prince, were electrocuted by an 11 KVA high-tension cable owned by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) in the Eruemukohwarien community of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State.
According to eyewitnesses, the old and weakened cable broke on the roof of a market stall, causing Mary to try and save her son, which resulted in a fatal electric shock.
The cable’s sudden breakage caused a fire that engulfed the victims, leaving the entire community in mourning.
According to reports, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the Eruemukohwarien community. Less than a year ago, three other people also lost their lives to electrocution in the same area.
Following the recurring incident of electrocution, residents in the area have demanded the BEDC replace the outdated cables instead of using temporary solutions.
As of Saturday morning, the cable that caused the tragic deaths of the mother and son was lying on the ground. Eyewitnesses expressed their concerns about the old and obsolete nature of the BEDC cables, emphasising the urgent need for a comprehensive overhaul rather than temporary fixes.
The Secretary General of the community, Chief Kingsley Emomate, expressed his sadness over the recurring tragedies and made a heartfelt appeal to the BEDC. He urged the company to replace the outdated cables in the community, acknowledging the devastating loss of lives and stressing the importance of preventing such incidents from happening again in the future.
“It is truly a pitiable and sympathetic incident. It is very unfortunate that lives have been lost,” Chief Emomate lamented. “We experienced a similar tragedy over a year ago, where 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”, he said.
