A family of four, including two children, was electrocuted in a power surge in the Dinyavoh area of Jalingo, Taraba State, on Monday.
The Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, but said the last child of the family survived.
According to PUNCH Metro, It was gathered that the incident occurred after an explosion from a transformer in the area. Many houses in the area were affected, and several people sustained injuries.
Abdullahi said the police received information about the incident around 11am on Monday and that detectives from the GRA Police Division were quickly deployed to the scene.
On arrival, the detectives found the four victims with burns suspected to be from electrocution. They were identified as Ofonbuk Remond, 44; his wife, Mfonbong Remond; Heaven Remond, 15; and First Remond, 13.
Abdullahi said that the victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, for treatment but were confirmed dead on arrival.
He said that the corpses had been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy, and that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the incident.
A resident, Boniface Musa, said that he saw the transformer in the area explode and then saw the victims’ apartment on fire. He said that he and other residents broke into the apartment and found the victims’ lifeless bodies on the floor.
The incident has caused shock and grief in the community. Many people are calling for an investigation into the cause of the power surge and for the government to take steps to prevent future tragedies.
