How fans ignored first warning before electrocution [video]

Fans watching the Europa League game between Manchester United and Anderlecht at a viewing centre in Calabar on Thursday, April 20 got a warning before some of them were electrocuted.

Several lives were lost-local reports suggest 30 while Cross River State Police Command insist only seven people died- when a high tension cable fell inside the viewing centre.

According to the eyewitnesses who spoke to Pulse Sports, no life was lost when the high tension cable first fell on top of the viewing centre.

Some fans, however, went back inside to complete the game before the second incident that killed and injured several people.

“I was watching a match between Man United and Anderlecht around 8 in the evening and while we are still watching the match we had a sign that the high tension and electricity were sparking and one of the cables fell on top of the roof of the viewing centre,” an unnamed witness told Pulse Sport.

“People rushed out for their dear lives and that first instance there was no casualty.  I was the person that leave the viewing centre last.

“Along the line, the people who were watching the match demanded that the generator should be on for them to complete their match and the owner of the viewing centre did the same.

“People going back again into the view centre and around 15 minutes or 10 minutes thereabout, NEPA restored the light again, as NEPA restored the light again, compacting with the generator and the high tension on top of the roof, the thing got sparked again and people rushed again to save their lives along the line they were trapped at the door post by the NEPA light.”

 Another witness who spoke to from the tragedy but revealed that the number has not been confirmed.

“About 30 people have been confirmed dead, though it is yet to be confirmed by the various hospitals that those people were rushed to,” another witness told Pulse Sport.

Following the incident, President Muhammadu Buhari released a statement expressing his shock and sadness over the tragedy.

From the football world, Manchester United, FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation have all sent condolences messages to the families of the victims