- He stated that no sooner had the shop owners arrived for the day’s trading activities in the market than the unfortunate incident occurred
No fewer than three persons have died from electrocution at Mowe Market in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The deceased persons, including a mother and child, were said to have been electrocuted on Monday after power was restored to the area following Sunday’s downpour.
The woman and her son were burnt beyond recognition, according to Punch.
According to an eyewitness, the electric shock was from the step-down transformer suspended on an electrical pole next to the shop where the incident happened.
He stated that no sooner had the shop owners arrived for the day’s trading activities in the market than the unfortunate incident occurred.
The Director of Information at the Obafemi Owode Local Government, Segun Soneye, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Thursday
Soneye, in a statement, attributed the tragic incident to the erection of shops made of iron under the powerline by the traders.
He said, “The chairman of the council had visited the affected shop owners and commiserated with them over the incident.
“The LG boss has already given shop owners a seven-day ultimatum to evacuate their make-shift shops built under the high tension powerline to forestall the recurrence of the incident.”
The Chairman of the Local Government, Ambassador Adesina Ogunsola, commiserated with the families of the victims.
Speaking during his visit to the market, he blamed the incident on the nonchalant attitude of the traders.
Ogunsola also gave a seven-day notice to all the traders whose shops and stalls are under the high-tension powerline to vacate to prevent the recurrence of the tragic incident
The LG boss wondered why people would disregard safety rules and have their shops close to electrical poles that carry step-down transformers.
Ogunsola, while giving the vacation order to the traders with shops and stalls under the powerline, said, “Let me also say that everyone that has extended its shop beyond where it should be, particularly those under high-tension cables should start removing it from today.”