A woman and her baby were electrocuted during a heavy downpour in Benin City, Edo State, after stepping on a live cable submerged in floodwater.
The incident occurred on May 7, 2025, at the Oregbeni area of the state capital. The victim, identified as 32-year-old Sarah David, was said to have her baby strapped on her back when tragedy struck.
According to eyewitness accounts, the fatal cable had reportedly fallen from an electricity pole belonging to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). The cable was hidden beneath the flooded road where Sarah and her children were walking.
An eyewitness, who gave her name as Edugie, said Sarah was also accompanied by her toddler, believed to be her eldest child. She recounted how a passerby swiftly rescued the toddler from the water, preventing what could have been a total family tragedy.
“But for the quick intervention of the passerby, the entire family would have been wiped out,” Edugie added.
In the aftermath, distressed residents in the area appealed to BEDC to disconnect power from the affected lines to prevent further casualties. The bodies of the woman and her baby were later recovered from the water.
