Carelessness, poverty, greed: Tragic end of Calabar soccer fans

DESPITE the tragedy that happened in Calabar, Cross River State last Thursday night during which football fans lost their lives, many viewing centres were filled to the brim across the country on Saturday when Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspurs clashed in an English FA Cup match as if nothing happened two days before.

Most of the viewing centres where the match was watched by die-hard fans were shacks like the Calabar centre, constructed with discarded roofing sheets and planks, or situated in decrepit buildings that could collapse anytime soon; but thankfully, there were no reported deaths.

Though there had been many reports on the incident, Sunday tribune investigation revealed that none of the football enthusiasts had a premonition of the tragedy that awaited them.

Those who lost dear ones in the Calabar tragic incident are still mourning. One of them is Mary, whose husband failed to return home after telling her he was going to watch a game of soccer.

Mary who tearfully recalled how her husband’s passion for football ended their six years marriage, revealed to Sunday Tribune that she now has to cater for her five-year-old daughter alone.

“When power finally went off, and people were rushing their relatives to the hospital, I saw my husband lying lifeless on the floor and before we could rush him to the hospital his body was cold,” she said.

On that fateful day, by 7:45 p.m, the enthusiastic football fans had  besieged the viewing centre located at Nsaha Effiom Village in Nyahasang qua clan, Calabar municipality, to watch the thrilling Europa league Quarter-final encounter between Manchester United and Anderlecht in which the English club progressed to the semi-finals after beating the Belgian team 2-1.

Barely 45 minutes after the match kicked off, the atmosphere changed for the worse. An electricity transformer exploded, cutting a high tension cable which fell on the roof of the viewing centre. Only a few persons were lucky to have escaped alive, while about eight others were electrocuted on the spot. Some victims, who were still breathing moments after the tragic incident, however, died on the way to hospital.

Sunday Tribune discovered during investigation that the viewing centre was constructed with roofing sheets. The standing fans and television sets inside were completely destroyed.

One of the survivors, Enobong Tommy, a community leader recounted to Sunday Tribune that: “We were watching Manchester United and Anderlecht Europa league match when we heard an explosion from the transformer. It cut the high tension cable which fell on the viewing centre. People rushed out and power went off instantly. I was the last person to leave the hall.

“There was no casualty at that time. When power went off, the owner of the viewing centre turned on the generator and continued with the match. Customers returned to the hall. About 15 minutes after, power was restored again, and that was when trouble started.

“People who were rushing out were trapped at the entrance, they were falling over each other, because of the flame from the fallen cable. Some of them who fell at the doorstep were electrocuted instantly.

“I survived miraculously because when people rushed in again to watch the match after the generator was on, I did not go in immediately I was waiting outside for people to go in before I did. If I had gone in again, maybe I would have been one of the casualties.”

Another survivor, who preferred not to be named, said he escaped death by the whiskers.

“Over 60 of us were inside watching the match and after about 30 minutes, we heard a big bang and then a spark from the electricity cables. Some of us panicked and ran out.

“I was now watching the match from outside, peeping through the openings. Shortly after, we heard another heavy sound and this time, live electricity cable landed directly on the roof of the centre.

“I remember that it was only one smallish man who managed to crawl out to safety. I could not count the number of dead bodies. The police later came and evacuated the bodies,” he said.

Another survivor, Uka Timothy, who sustained serious injuries and was receiving treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, said those sitting around him in the hall died on the spot, but he was lucky to be alive.

“I cheated death because everybody sitting around me died. About eight dead bodies were evacuated this (Friday) morning. God has a reason for keeping me because I have not fulfilled my destiny. I give glory to God,’’ Timothy said.

Commenting on the development, Secretary-General of Nsaha Effiom Village, Comrade Iso Bassey Edim, blamed the Port-Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) for failing to carry out routine checks on its electrical installations in the state, which he said, caused the incident.

Edim said most of the electricity cables and transformers installed many years back had gone bad, but the distribution company made no effort to replace them.

He also blamed the owner of the viewing centre for citing it under high tension cable.

“It is the carelessness of PHEDC for refusing to do normal routine checks because most of the materials used for electrification get bad at a point. It is expected that they do a routine check from time to time. They have not been doing it, hence the incident.

“It is also the carelessness of the viewing centre owner for refusing to acknowledge the danger in putting any structure under high tension cables which is, itself, against the law. Though it is not time for shifting blame, but I think we need to take precaution so that this kind of scenario will not occur again.

“A number of such incidents are about to take place if ignored by PHEDC. If you go to a place at Marian behind GLO office the high tension has already fallen. You don’t manage a faulty electricity facility, you replace it,” he said.

Comrade Edim said leaders of the community would take measures to avert a recurrence by partnering, with relevant authorities to ensure that residential buildings are not constructed under high tension cable.

“We as a community will take drastic measure to see that we avert this kind of incident by partnering with appropriate authorities like Ministry of lands and Housing, who are in charge of identifying where to cite a building. We are going to make sure that where some of these illegal structures are erected under high tension, they would be removed so we would not have a reoccurrence,” he added.

Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade, on Technical matters who also spoke to Sunday Tribune said henceforth, the state government will take proactive measures to control building development, as well as remove structures under high tension cables.

“It is a very sad incident that happened. I came in this morning to assess the extent of damage when I heard the news. Many lives have been lost, though we have not been able to ascertain the number of casualties.

“From my own perspective, I observed that it was something that had to do with building regulations. We have high tension cables and we have houses directly under the high tension wire and, most of these electricity infrastructures are old. So it is most likely that you can have this incident happen again and again.

“I think the state government should take proactive steps to control building development and remove some structures that are under high tension cable. Most of the transformers we have in this community are overloaded,” he said.

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), has however, commiserated with the victims. In a statement issued by the Chief Operating Officer of PHED, Mr. Kingsley Achife, the power distribution company commiserated with the families of those who died in the accident, just as he sympathised with those who sustained injuries.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families. May God give the families the courage to bear the losses. “We also sympathise with those who sustained injuries and wish them quick recovery,” he said.

The COO, who expressed displeasure over the incident has assured the community that an investigation team had been constituted with a view to finding out the remote and immediate causes of the accident.