At least five travellers have reportedly lost their lives, while three others sustained serious burns following an electrocution incident in Essa village, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.
The tragic event occurred at about 7am on Monday when a truck conveying passengers and goods came into contact with a high-tension power line.
The victims were said to be travelling from Zaria in Kaduna State to Lagos when the accident happened.
A resident of the area, Mohammed Baba, who spoke with Daily Trust, explained that the truck struck the cable while attempting to avoid potholes along the road.
According to him, the high-tension line, which supplies power to Agaie, has remained dangerously loose for a long time, causing repeated accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles.
“This is not the first time vehicles have come in contact with the same wire. One of the high-tension lines has loosened, and heavy trucks often hit it,” Baba said.
He added that the travellers were on a truck heavily loaded with goods, and when the wire touched one passenger, others were electrocuted as well.
The bodies of the deceased, alongside the injured victims, were reportedly taken to the police station in Badeggi. Baba further disclosed that authorities used the victims’ mobile phones to reach out to their families.
Meanwhile, residents have appealed to the Nigerian government to urgently reconstruct the damaged road and fix the hazardous power line to prevent further tragedies.
Efforts to get an official response from the Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Aishat Sa’ad, were unsuccessful, as she had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.
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