Technician falls from electric pole, dies

A field technician with the Ikeja Electric, Matthew Umukoro, has died after falling from an electric pole on Igbe Road, Igbogbo, in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.

According to The Punch, the 42-year-old was on a pole, working on wires to enable residents of the Itedo Oluwa Community Development Association have access to power when the pole suddenly snapped.

It was learnt that Umukoro fell and lost consciousness as his body hit the ground.

In a bid to rescue him, some good Samaritans, including his colleagues and residents in the community, rushed him to the Akinbola Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The Head of Corporate Communications, IE, Felix Ofulue, while commiserating with the victim’s family, said the firm had commenced investigation and safety assessment to determine what went wrong.

He said, “One of our staff, a field technician, suffered a fatal accident while working on an electric pole. He was rushed to a hospital, but unfortunately, he passed on.

“It is a tragic situation and we deeply commiserate with his family and friends. Already, we have commenced an investigation and safety assessment of the situation to determine what went wrong.

“Safety is a critical aspect of the company’s culture and it is paramount that every technician is fully kitted in personal protective equipment whenever they are on the field.

“The company will spare no cost to ensure that staff members are protected in their line of duty due to the sensitive nature of the task.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said Umukoro’s corpse had been deposited in the Ikorodu General Hospital’s mortuary.

“The incident happened on Monday, June 13, 2022. Matthew Umukoro’s colleague visited the station and reported that he was working on an electric pole around 3pm, but in the process, the pole got broken and he fell.

“He was immediately rushed to a hospital, but was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty,” Hundeyin said.