No fewer than three persons have been reportedly killed by a Globacom mast in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The mast was said to have fallen on top of the roof of a building after an early evening downpour, leading to the death of the victims as a result of injuries they sustained.
Sources told our correspondent that those who died were said to be a middle-aged man, Adindu Fynecountry and a 10-year-old primary six pupil, Laurencia Asuquo and a nephew.
The source said that the mast which was located at Ntoe Edet Oqua Street in Odukpani, fell on a nearby building with shops, where a middle-aged man, who owned a chemist, was killed, while the 10-year-old girl was on an errand.
It was also confirmed that two other persons sustained serious injury and were rushed to the hospital.
According to the source, “The mast fell on the roof of some houses and shops. We rushed out to see that a little girl who had gone to a nearby shop that was affected by the wind was killed by the fallen mast.
Another, old man was also killed. We carried them out while the other injured victims were taken to the General hospital in Calabar.”
Another eye witness who is a tenant in the building gave his own version of the incident that the mast had over the years been lying on former refuse dump site, which was also used for latrine, alleging that the telecoms company did not fill the site properly before erecting the mast.
He said that, “The mast was mounted in an old refuse dump site that was later converted to a pit toilet. That pit toilet was not properly filled. So I suspect that the way Globacom did the work of erecting the mast was haphazardly done.
“I was actually at Ikang, in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State when the incident occurred. I only came back to see that the fallen mast had destroyed my property in the house .I am a tenant here and my properties destroyed including personal effects.”
The owner of the affected building, Mr. Ekpenyong Nsa, said the mast was built about 10 years ago. Nsa said, “I came and heard people shouting over the fallen mast. The havoc was done and two people died in the process. I cannot exactly recall when the mast was erected but I guess it was about 10 years ago.
A man who identified himself as a brother to late Fynecountry, Mr. Henry Okeke, said he rushed to the scene after receiving a telephone call on what had befallen his brother.
Okeke, from Akwete in Ukwa East LGA of Abia State said, “When I got to Odukpani, I saw the corpse lying on the ground. Of course there was nothing I could do. I joined the police to carry his corpse in the van to deposit in the mortuary.
“I hope to meet with the Glo people and the National Communication Commission. There are lots of things we have to address in the matter because it’s a big disaster.”
When contacted, an official at the Globacom office in Calabar who confirmed the incident said it was unfortunate.
The official who did not disclose his identity because he was not competent to speak on the issue, said, his office had sent a delegation to meet with the family of those who died.
He also said that another delegation from the Glo Network Headquarters in Lagos would be coming to Cross River to further assess the extent of damage.

L-R: Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Supervisory Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda and Vice President Namadi Sambo, at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday.