Tragedy struck yesterday as no fewer than 30 football fans lost their lives at a football viewing centre in Calabar, Cross River state capital, after high tension electricity cable broke from its mooring and fell on the roof of the building.
According to Channels TV, the football fans were said to have assembled at the centre to watch a UEFA Europa League quarter-final match between Manchester United and Anderlecht on satellite television, a game the host won 2-1 (3-2) on aggregate to advance to the semi-final.
A survivor told The Punch that a transformer near the viewing centre located in the Iyang-Esu area of the Calabar Municipal local government area exploded during the match and this caused a high-tension cable to drop on the viewing centre.
The survivor stated amid sobs: “It happened during the match between Manchester United and Anderlecht. I heard a deafening bang. I rushed out to see what was happening. When I turned back to go inside the viewing centre, I saw a cable coming down on the centre and this killed the viewers in the hall.
“It was a horrible sight to behold. I wish I didn’t come out to watch the match. Come to think of it, I have DStv at home but I enjoy watching matches at viewing centres. I could have been dead. I can’t believe that the people I was chatting and joking with a few minutes ago are all gone in a most anguishing way. This world is vain.”
A resident, who preferred anonymity, disclosed that more than eighty persons were in the hall when the cable came down.
According to the resident, “The whole thing happened within a minute or two. It happened about 9:48pm. Those that died have been taken to the mortuary. A few that survived have been taken to hospitals.”
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Cross River state Command, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident and she stated that the number of casualties would be confirmed on Friday, April 21.
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