There was pandemonium in Kwarau village of Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State, following the deaths of four villagers who were electrocuted.

The incident occurred around 6:40 a.m. on Saturday when most residents were still asleep at home.

The exact cause of the incident remains unclear, but residents attributed it to a cable from the high-tension power lines that fell onto their transformer.

It was learnt that the cable from the high-tension pole fell onto the transformer, causing a high voltage surge that affected many homes in the small village.

A resident Lawal Ismail identified the victims as Malam Saminu, Sani, Labi and a teenage girl, while the injured are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

Mohammed Rabi’u Kwarau, the councilor representing Kwarau Ward at Igabi LGA Council, confirmed the incident, stating that four people died and four others are receiving treatment.

He described the event as tragic and urged the authorities to address the ongoing electrical issues in the community, noting that this is not the first time such high voltage incidents have been reported.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy that claimed the lives of four of our people—three males and a teenage girl. The high tension led to high voltage electricity in most houses, resulting in the deaths,” he said.

Similarly, the village head of Kwarau, Umar Rufai, described the incident as unfortunate and urged the authorities responsible for electricity supply to compensate the victims’ families.

“The families need compensation because this was not their fault. The incident occurred while people were at home, leading to their deaths and also affecting some animals,” he said.

He added that it was only by the grace of God that there was no fire outbreak in the community, despite the high voltage. (Daily Trust)