A 9-year-old boy has died from electric shock at the Yaounde 1 university residential area popularly known as ‘Bonas’.
The incident happened Friday June 26, 2020.
News Upfront gathered that the victim, identified as Amougwe Jimmy, was playing football with friends before the unexpected happened.
“As they were playing, the ball fell into a nearby running stream and Jimmy entered to pick the ball, he actually picked the ball, send it back to his friends and as he tried to step out, he supported himself to an iron container standing beside and then suddenly he fell back speedily into the stream shouting…” an onlooker narrated.
“His friends and the people around rushed to his rescue but it was too late, he died immediately he was taken out of the stream” another eye witness recounted.
From some minor injuries on the body of Jimmy, onlookers suspected an electrocution, and as they observed the container, they discovered poor electrical connections with naked cables lying on the container.
It became evident that the little boy died of electrocution.
The father who was at work was immediately informed and he rushed to the site of the incident only to see his son lying dead.
“I can’t tell you what happened, I was not there, I am just coming here now, I left my son healthy but as people are saying, it is an electric shock that took the life of my boy” the father told News Upfront reporters who were present on the spot.
He then took his son home and after concerting with family, the boy was burried.
Poor electrical connection in the university residential area is the cause of a good number of ordeals in the quarter.
Fire incidents, electrocutions are the most reported.
By Jeremi Romi (News Upfront intern)
