The
survivors of the Calabar viewing centre accident that claimed multiple
lives have started speaking up about how the gory incident played out.
Some of the survivors of the Calar mishap on their sickbeds
It was a path football lovers in Nyaghassang Community in Calabar
Municipality, Cross River State, had trodden for years – watching
football matches at a popular viewing centre on Access High School Road.
Hence they had not the slightest inkling of the tragedy that lurked
in the corner when they gathered to watch the Europa League quarter
final match between Manchester United and Anderlecht football clubs on
Thursday night.
A high-tension cable, which, according to a Port Harcourt
Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) official, was the UNICAL 11KV
Feeder, fell on the viewing centre at about 9.30 pm, leaving many of the
passionate football lovers in the building electrocuted. Initial
reports put the casualty figure at more than 30. But when our
correspondent visited the scene, several eyewitnesses said the number of
people that died on the spot ranged between seven and 10.
The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the University of
Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Dr. Ogbu Ngim, who represented the
Chief Medical Director, Dr Thomas Agan, said 18 persons were brought to
the hospital with various degrees of burns. He said seven were confirmed
dead, while the remaining 11 were responding to treatment.
It was observed that the viewing centre, constructed with zinc, was
located directly under a high-tension cable, just like many other
buildings in the area. The cable fell on the building when a nearby
transformer exploded. It was estimated that the viewing centre harboured
about 120 people at the time.
It was gathered that while the match was on, there was a loud noise
from the transformer occasioning power outage, following which the
cable landed on the roof of the viewing centre. It was gathered that the
football fans were aware that the cable landed on the roof, but they
were so keen on watching the match that they ignored it.
Rather than vacate the hall, they urged the owner of the centre to
put on his generator, saying that there was no current in the cable that
fell on the roof. Unfortunately, moments after the owner of the viewing
centre switched on the generator, public power was restored and fire
erupted in the building.
An eyewitness recalled that the building suddenly began to vibrate
while the fire raged. In the ensuing stampede, many of the viewers
escaped while many others got electrocuted.
“As their bodies got in contact with the zinc, which now had
current running through it, many of them got electrocuted. That was how
the problem escalated,” the eyewitness said.
A young man who identified himself simply as Innocent said: “I
was inside the building when we heard the first explosion. Some of us
came outside and we saw the cable that had fallen on the roof. In fact,
some people were passing under the cable as they were calling the owner
of the viewing centre to put on the generator so that they could
continue watching the match.
“When the generator was switched on, people went inside. My
saving grace was that I stood outside, waiting for the DSTV (Direct
Satellite Television) to finish loading. You know that DSTV normally
takes time to load when it goes off. So I stood outside for some
minutes. But just as I was going inside to check if the match had
restarted, I saw a close friend who had sat in front of me running out.
His body touched the zinc wall and he fell to the ground.
“Before I knew it, people started running out in numbers,
trying to get out of the door at the same time. That was how they
started falling one after the other right in front of me. I saw my
friend die in my presence but there was nothing I could do.
When the fire had died down, people came around to help remove
the bodies. They were just pulling bodies out like logs of wood. It was
like hell fire. This is something that would traumatise me for the rest
of my life. Those who did not rush out during the incident were the ones
that were safe.
“For me, I counted eight people who died on the spot. They were
six men and two women. Thank God it did not happen on the day Barcelona
played Juventus or the day Chelsea played Man United, because the place
would have been more jam-packed and the causalities would have been
more.”
Another young man who identified himself as Dominic said he had
paid to watch the match and was already watching when he got a call from
a friend to join him for a drink.
He said: “I had already paid N50 and was watching the match.
Then, a friend of mine called me to join him at Doris O Hotel, so I left
and joined him there and continued watching the match also. It was when
I came back here that I learnt of the disaster. It was the call from my
friend that saved my life.”
Mr. Chris Abang, who also would have been at the viewing centre, said he was delayed by his wife.
He said: “I had just come back from Ogoja and was in a hurry to
go and watch the match. I am a Man U fan, so I could not wait to watch
match. But my wife insisted that I stayed back and eat something. I
decided to listen to her. By the time I arrived the viewing centre, the
whole incident happened right in my presence. My wife’s delay saved my
life.”
But a certain Emmanuel Okon, who lost his life in the incident, was
not so lucky. According to his wife, Mary, being a Manchester United
fan, he left to watch the match, ignoring her plea that he should eat
before going for the match.
Speaking between sobs, she said: “I was boiling rice for him,
but he decided to go and watch the match. I told him to stay back and
eat but he said I should come and call him when it was ready. When the
incident occurred, I went there to look for him. When I finally found
him, he lay on the ground lifeless. There were bodies everywhere on the
ground. I carried him with the help of his nephew, but he was not
responding. His body was cold. With the help of a neighbour who is a
taxi driver, we took him to the hospital where we were told that he was
dead.”
The late Okon’s nephew, Godswill Okon, also recalled in tears: “That
evening, my uncle and I were just joking about the match. He is a Man U
fan and I am a Chelsea fan. So we were playfully arguing and I told him
that Man U would lose but he said they would win. When it was time for
the match, he called me to go with him to watch, but I felt somehow and
decided not to go. Normally, I would be there to watch the game, but I
suddenly did not feel too well. People were even surprised that I did
not go to watch.
“While we were at home, we heard about the incident. I got
there and saw my uncle dead. My uncle was a very loving and kind person.
He was the one taking care of me. My school fees, accommodation,
feeding, clothes, everything. I don’t know what I would do now that he
is gone?”
Spokesperson of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company
(PHEDC), John Onyi, said the company was yet to ascertain the number of
casualties.
He said: “We are not here to apportion blame but to
investigate. It was UNICAL 11KV Feeder that snapped and fell on top of
the roof. The viewing centre was in PHEDC’s right of way. There should
be at least a 12.5-metre gap with the high-tension cable. But as you can
see, there are buildings right under the high-tension cable.
“Our investigations would include who gave approvals for
buildings to be constructed under high tension cables. But like I said,
we are not here for blame. Our condolences go to families that have been
affected. We appeal for calm.”
The Secretary of the Nyaghassang Qua Clan Council, Comrade Iso
Basey Edim, said it was unfair that the PHEDC did not bother to maintain
their equipment but were only interested in collecting money or
disconnecting power. He urged that the government should do something
about the situation.
The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ivara Esu, who
visited the scene of the incident, commiserated with the victims, saying
the government would take charge of the treatment of those affected by
the incident. He said an investigation would be launched into the
matter.
Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, in a statement signed
by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Christian Ita, ordered the
setting up of a commission of inquiry on the viewing centre tragedy.
Ayade, who also commiserated with the victims, described the
incident as tragic and horrifying, saying the state government would
also offer assistance to the victims and their families.
Source: The Nation newspaper
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