The Gombe State Police Command confirmed the tragic development in a statement released by its spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the surge caused widespread damage to electrical appliances and electrified metallic surfaces around homes, creating a deadly environment for unsuspecting residents.
“Officers from the Low-cost Divisional Police Headquarters were immediately deployed to the area upon receiving the report,” the statement read. “They secured the scene and evacuated victims to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.”
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that five individuals lost their lives on the spot, while thirteen others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
