At least six persons, including a pregnant woman and a staff member of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have been confirmed dead after a high-tension cable conveying electricity snapped in the Okrika community of Rivers State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, around 1:12 am, at a residential section of Okrika Local Government Area, The Nation reports.
The fallen cable reportedly ignited a fire that razed a building and destroyed properties worth millions of naira, plunging residents into grief and panic.
Eyewitnesses say the victims were caught unaware in their sleep, with little to no chance of escape as the live cable struck.
As of press time, emergency response teams and officials of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) were said to be assessing the extent of the damage.