Pregnant Woman, 5 Others Dead As Transformer Explodes In Abuja

Residents of Tundunwada area of Lugbe, in the Federal Capital Territory -have been thrown into lament after 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.


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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.

There were conflicting reports about the number of the dead. While a community leader, Felix Omeje, put the number of the dead at six, the community’s chief security officer, Geoffrey Ukeje, said he personally took three dead bodies to the hospital, noting that only four persons were injured.

Omeje blamed the AEDC for the tragedy, attributing the explosion to a wrong connection by the power firm.

The Head, Corporate Communications and Community Relations, AEDC, Mr. Oyebode Fadipe, said investigation had commenced into the incident.

He declined to speak about compensations for the victims until the cause of the accident had been established and a decision taken by the management.