AEDC Raises Panel On Abuja Electrical Fire

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has set up  an eight-man investigative team  to unravel the immediate and remote causes of a fire incident that killed two persons in Nyanya, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
AEDC’s Head, Public Relation and Media, Mr Ahmed Shekarau, said in a statement in Abuja, on Thursday that the preliminary report on the accident that occurred on April 12 had been concluded.
Shekarau said that the report showed that an 11-Kv wire which snapped and fell on the roofing sheet of a house in Nyanya resulted in the outbreak of fire in the building.
“This was alleged to have led to the unfortunate death of a man and a child, while a woman sustained injuries,” Shekarau said.
According to him, the terms of reference for the investigative panel  include establishing  the root causes of the incident, conducting  a technical assessment of the equipment and the supply network, advising whether the equipment and network operated normally during the incident, and identifying  remedial measures to prevent a recurrence.
He said that the panel had two weeks to submit its report.
The AEDC Director of Risk and Compliance , Mr. Collins Chabuka said that  the   panel was in  accordance with AEDC’s  internal  incident reporting and investigation procedure guidelines.
“It is AEDC’s internal Health and Safety Policy requirements that all accidents are investigated by independent internal competent persons with extensive industry background, competence and knowledge,” he said.
He said that the purpose of the investigation was to highlight the shortcomings that might  have led to the incident and recommend industry best practice and remedial measures to prevent a recurrence.
Chabuka said that AEDC had complied with regulatory requirements by officially notifying the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) of the accident.
He commiserated with the family of the deceased and other members of the Nyanya community, and appealed to members of the public to avoid encroaching into the right of way of electricity lines