Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Two persons have died while two others were hospitalised after they were electrocuted while working at an agro factory located on Nise Street in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Two of the victims were a father of seven from Ikwo Local Government Area of the state simply identified as Justice and one Usulor Chukwudi from Oriuzor community in Ezza North council.
It was gathered that the victims were working in the factory before their ladder made of metal fell on top of uninsulated electric cable and got the four electrocuted.
According to sources, the victims who were at the time unconscious were rushed to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) were Justice and Chukwudi were confirmed dead while the other two whose names were given as Akochi Chineme and Onwe Emmanuel were being treated.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Loveth Odah, said that two of the victims were confirmed dead in the hospital, while others were receiving treatment.
Odah said: “It was 6 pm on Friday on 26th of July, 2019 that one Onyebuchi Anworo, an aluminium engineer came to Eke-Aba Central Police Station and reported that while they were fixing aluminum widows at the agro factory at Nise Street by Afikpo Road in company of four of his workers, an iron ladder which they were using fell on top of a naked electric cable and got four of the workers electrocuted, and they became unconscious.
“The victims were rushed to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. Among them were one Akochi Chineme, 32 years of Oriuzor, Ezza North; Onwe Emmanuel, 32 years, Usulor Chukwudi of Oriuzor, Ezza North and one Justice from Ikwo whose surname is unknown yet.
“He said two of them were confirmed dead at FETHA while the two others were responding to treatment. The DPO led an operation to the area, visited the scene of the incident and the hospital and the two are in stable condition.
“Onyebuchi was taken to a police station for questioning and the matter is under investigation to ascertain if there was a foul play,” she said.