Abuja Transformer Explodes, Kills Pregnant Woman, Five Others

There was pandemonium at the Tundunwada area of Lugbe, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory when a
transformer exploded and electrocuted six persons, including a pregnant woman who recently moved into her house in the area.

About four persons were also said to have been injured during the incident, including a six-year-old boy, Destiny Okolo, who suffered injuries on his face and left ear.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the transformer was on fire for about 10 minutes during which it sent devastating electric current to some residential apartments in the area.

Our correspondent, who visited the community on Tuesday, gathered that the incident happened around 9pm on Saturday.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company officials were seen investigating the incident and pacifying the residents in the locality.

Findings indicate that the pregnant woman, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, wanted to switch off her fan when she was electrocuted. Her son was said to have raised the alarm which alerted her neighbours to her death.

The lad was said to have been taken to a Catholic church pending when his father, who is a resident in Lagos, would arrive in Abuja.

Geoffrey Atoh, 24, whose friend, Joseph Terva, was electrocuted, explained that the victim was about stepping out of his apartment when he was killed.

“We were outside when the transformer exploded and started burning for about 10 minutes. Everyone was afraid and started running helter-skelter. It was later that I heard that my friend, Joseph, was electrocuted. We rushed down to his house and found that he had died,” Atoh explained.

Donald Dooga, who lost his brother, Joseph Moses, 22, told our correspondent that his sibling died before they could get him to the hospital.

Dooga said Moses was electrocuted as he was about changing the fuse of his electricity switchboard when he saw the blaze from the transformer.

He said, “When Joseph saw the explosion and the huge fire from the transformer, he rushed to the switchboard to change the fuse, but he was electrocuted in the process. Somebody told me that my brother had been electrocuted, so, we rushed him to the hospital, but he died on the way.”


PUNCH