This is a concise report on how the ill-fated Calabar viewing centre mishap involving Manchester United fans happened.
The viewing centre where the accident happened
It was something football lovers in Nyaghassang Community in
Calabar Municipality of Cross River State had done hundreds of times
before – watching football matches at a popular viewing centre along
Access High School Road.
Little did they know that Thursday night, when Manchester United
hosted Anderlecht in a return leg of the Europa League quarterfinal
match, was going to turn out to be a great tragedy.
A high-tension cable which according to a Port Harcourt Electricity
Distribution Company (PHEDC) official, was the UNICAL 11KV Feeder, fell
on the viewing centre electrocuting many of the passionate football
lovers who were in the building at about 9.30pm. Initial reports put the
casualty figure at over 30, but when a correspondent got to the scene
of the incident, several eyewitnesses said the number of people that
died on the spot ranged between seven and 10.
Chairman of the medical advisory committee of the University of
Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Dr Ogbu Ngim, who represented the
Chief Medical Director, Dr Thomas Agan, said 18 persons with various
degrees of burns were brought to the hospital. He said seven were
confirmed dead, while the remaining 11 were responding to treatment.
It was observed that the viewing centre, constructed with zinc was
located directly under the high-tension cable, just like many other
buildings in the area. The cable fell on the building after an explosion
from a transformer that was located nearby. It was estimated that the
viewing centre could contain about 120 people.
It was gathered that while the match was on the there was a loud
explosion from the transformer and the power went out and the cable
landed on the roof of the viewing centre. Quite curiously it was
gathered that those watching the game were aware of the cable that
landed on the roof, but being so eager to continue their match and
thinking there was no current in the cable as the power had gone out,
urged the owner of the centre to put on his generator.
After the generator was put on they all went back inside to
continue their match and then power was restored by PHEDC and the fire
erupted in the building.
According to someone who was inside the centre, the building seemed
to be vibrating. In the pandemonium that ensued as many made for the
exit, several of them got electrocuted. “As their bodies kept touching
the zinc which had live electricity running through it and people’s
bodies kept rubbing on other bodies in the confusion that is how the
problem escalated,” an eyewitness described
A young man who described himself as Innocent recounted, “I was
inside the building when we heard the first explosion so some of us
came outside and we saw the cable that had cut and fallen on the roof.
In fact some people were passing under the cable as they were calling
the owner of the viewing centre to put on the generator so that they can
continue their match. When the generator was put on people went inside.
What saved me was because I just stood outside waiting for the DSTV to
finish loading. You know that DSTV normally takes time to load when it
goes off. So I stood outside for some minutes and just as I was going
inside to check if the match had restarted, I saw a close friend who was
sitting in front of me, running out and his body touched the zinc wall
and he fell to the ground. Before you know it people started running out
in numbers, trying to get out of the door at the same time. That is how
they were falling one after the other right in front of me. I saw my
friend die before me and there was nothing I could do.
“When it had died down, people came around to help remove the
bodies. They were just pulling bodies out like logs of wood. It was like
hell fire. This is something that would traumatize me for the rest of
my life. Those that did not rush out during the incident are the ones
that were safe. For me I counted eight people that died on the spot and
they were six men and two women. Thank God it did not happen on the day
Barcelona played Juventus or the day Chelsea played Man United, because
the placed would have been more jam-packed and the causalities would
have been.”
Another young man who identified himself as Dominic said he had
paid for the match and was watching when he got call from a friend to
join him for a drink. “I had already paid my N50 and was watching
the match. Then a friend of mine called me to join him at Doris O Hotel.
So I left and joined him there. I even continued watching the match
there. It was when I came back here that I saw the disaster that
happened here. That call from my friend saved my life.”
Mr Chris Abang, who also would have been in the viewing centre said he was delayed by his wife. “I
had just come back from Ogoja and was in a hurry to go and watch the
match. I am a Man U fan. So I could not wait to go and watch match. But
my wife insisted that I stayed back and have something to eat. So I
decided to listen to her and when I finished eating and was on my way to
the viewing centre the whole incident happened right in front of me. My
wife’s delay saved my life that yesterday.”
But a certain Emmanuel Okon, who lost his life in the incident was
not so lucky. According to his wife, Mary, being a Manchester United fan
he left to watch the match despite her asking him to stay back and eat
something.
Speaking between sobs, she said, “I was boiling rice for him
and then he decided to go and watch the match. I told him to stay back
and eat but he said I should come and meet him when it was ready. When
the incident happened I went there to look for him and when I found him
he was not moving. There were bodies lying on the floor everywhere. I
carried him with the help of his nephew, but he was not responding. His
body was cold. With the help of a neighbour who is a taxi man, we
carried him to the hospital where we were told he was dead.”
The late Okon’s nephew Godswill Okon recounted in tears also, “That
evening me and my uncle were just joking about the match. He is a Man U
fan and I am a Chelsea fan. So we were playfully arguing and I told him
Man U will lose. He said no way that they would win. So when it was
time for the match, he called me to go with him and watch, but I felt
somehow and decided not to go. Normally I would have been there to watch
the game, but I suddenly did not feel too well. People were even
surprised that I did not go to watch. While we were home that we heard
and went out and I got there and saw my uncle dead. My uncle was a very
loving and kind person. He was the one who was taking care of me. My
school fees, accommodation, feeding, clothes, everything. I don’t know
what I would do now he is gone. Who would come to our help?”
Spokesperson of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company
(PHEDC) John Onyi, they were yet to ascertain the level of casualties.
“We are not here to apportion blame but to investigate. It was UNICAL
11KV Feeder that snapped at that junction and fell on top of the roof.
The viewing centre was in PHEDC’s right of way. There should be at least
a 12.5 metre gap away from the high-tension cable. But as you can see
now there are buildings right under the high-tension cable. Our
investigations would include who gave approvals for buildings to be
constructed under high tension cables. But like I said, we are not here
for blame. Our condolences go to families that have been affected. We
appeal for calm,” he said.
Secretary of the Nyaghassang Qua Clan Council, Comrade Iso Basey
Edim said it was unfair that the PHEDC did not bother to maintain their
equipment, but were only interested in collecting money or disconnecting
power. He urged that the government should do something about the
situation.
Cross River Deputy Governor, Prof Ivara Esu, who visited the scene
of the incident, commiserated with the victims and said the government
would take care of the treatment of those affected by the incident. He
said an investigation would be launched into the matter.
Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade in a statement signed by
his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Christian Ita, ordered the
setting up of a commission of inquiry on the viewing center tragedy.
Ayade, who also commiserated with the victims, described the
incident as tragic and horrifying, said the state government will also
offer assistance to the victims and their families.
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