Three men were electrocuted in Onitsha, Anambra State on Monday, October 19, 2026 after an iron pole they were erecting for a water tank fell onto an 11kV overhead electricity line. The incident happened at Port Harcourt Road, Fegge, where the victims had been engaged by a contractor to work on a borehole project for the owner of a two-storey building.
The deceased were identified as Chukwudi Ukwa, Frank Okafor and Somadina Nwabuike. According to witnesses, they were holding the iron pole when it came into contact with the power line, causing instant fatal electrocution. Police officers from the Fegge Division evacuated the bodies to the General Hospital, Onitsha, and the property owner, identified as Mr Steven, is assisting police with investigation.
FirstPower Electricity Distribution Company Limited mourned the deaths and warned against construction, borehole drilling and water tank installation near overhead lines without safety clearance. The company’s Head of Communications, Izunna Okafor, said metal objects can conduct electricity from power lines and urged residents to report encroachment on electricity corridors to prevent further loss of lives.
