Rainstorm tragedy kills 8, including pregnant woman in Lagos, Ilorin

Tragedy struck in Lagos and Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday, as six persons including a pregnant woman and her three children were electrocuted as rainstorm swept away three others in Ilorin.

The Lagos tragedy occurred at Oworonshoki area of the state, during a heavy downpour. According to an eyewitness, the tragedy struck at Nos 6 and 8 Onabanjo Street, Oworonsoki around 2.00 am when the 11KVA high tension line suddenly snapped during the early heavy downpour accompanied by rainstorm with electricity still on the cable.

Confirming the incident, General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said, a cable belonging to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, during the heavy rainfall, sparked when power was suddenly restored at about 2.20 am. He said the cable snapped and landed on a vehicle with 50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, which immediately exploded into a ball of fire.

He said the incident caused panic among residents of the area and in an attempt to run into safety, they unknowingly stepped on the live cable and were electrocuted.

Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that six people died while the Police and other security agencies arrived the scene later to restore normalcy.
In Ilorin, no fewer than three people were feared dead in a downpour that destroyed property worth millions of naira and rendered hundreds of people homeless overnight.

Two brothers identified as Basil and Gafal, aged four and three and half respectively, lost their lives while an Abuja-bound bus driver also died in the flood.

Correspondent who visited the scene of the flood along Ajase-Ipo Road, Ilorin, reports that over 30 vehicles were damaged due to the heavy flood caused by blocked canal.