30 football fans were killed and 11 injured when an electric cable fell on a building where they were watching a Europa League match, Nigerian police said Friday.
The incident happened in the southern port city of Calabar on Thursday during a quarter-final between Manchester United and Anderlecht being shown on satellite television, the police said.
“We received a report of the incident around 10:00 pm and on getting there were able to recover the bodies of seven people who had been electrocuted when a high tension cable fell on them,” Cross River state police spokeswoman Irene Ugbo told AFP.
“Eleven other fans who were injured were rushed to the hospital, with one in a critical condition,” she said.
Local media said over 30 fans were feared dead in the incident.
The match however, ended in favour of Manchester United, who won the match on a 3-2 aggregate, with Marcus Rashford netting the winner in the 107th minute.
The survivor while Speaking with Punch said, “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 electrocuted 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.”