A-23-year old woman, Blessing Eyo Okon, was, on Friday afternoon,
electrocuted when a Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, cable cut and fell
at the corridor of her hair dressing shop as a result of a stormy rain in
Calabar, Cross River State capital. The incident occurred at 25, Mount Zion
Road, Calabar.
Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the
Calabar General Hospital mortuary.
A colleague of the deceased, who gave her name as Grace, said
Blessing was attending to customers when the heavy rain began to fall and
“suddenly the NEPA cable over her shop cut and fell on the floor and since the
floor was tiled and wet, it began to shock those in the shop.”
Grace said Blessing was the most affected because her legs were
wet, adding that the incident set the shop on fire. According to her, the
flame was so much, it was “as if somebody poured petrol inside fire and
Blessing had burns on her stomach and legs but those of the stomach tore open
her stomach and left her intestines gushing out.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of Calabar
Distribution of PHCN, Mr. Fred Obi, said no such report had been brought to the
knowledge of the company, but sources at 25 Mount Zion Road said some PHCN
staff visited the scene of the incident soon after it happened.
The Public Relation Officer of Cross River State Police Command,
ASP Hogan Bassey, said the command had not been briefed on the matter.
At press time, yesterday, the cut cable was still dangling from
the pole while part of it sprawled on the road at the scene of the tragedy.