By Patrick N. Mensah, Maryland county
A 39-year-old man, Emmanuel Vaye, has been electrocuted by high tension wire while painting the top of a Mosque in Maryland County, southeast Liberia. The incident occurred on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
The deceased was a local painter and resident of Zone#3, Pleebo, Electoral District#2, Maryland County.
Narrating the ordeal, a bystander only identified as Jai, explains that the deceased was contracted by members of the Muslim Community in the district to paint a Mosque in order to give it a facelift as they observe the Holy Month of Ramadan.
He notes that the late Vaye had begun the contract for about three days before meeting his untimely death early Saturday while painting.
Jai continues that while the deceased was painting below the Mosque early that morning, electrical power from the Liberia Electricity Cooperation (LEC) had gone off.
“So, when he was through with the down part of the mosque, he had gone on top of the building to complete the painting, but while at the top of the building which is very close to the tension wire, the current came on with force and by then, Emmanuel was already close to the tension wire”, he narrates.
Jai says the only thing we saw while looking from down is that Emmanuel was struggling to balance but the force from the power drew him to the tension wire and he got electrocuted.
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“He was one of my closest friends. I was so surprised to have witnessed his demise because we all were together during the morning hours” he laments.
The victim has been described as someone who was friendly, good and hardworking and humorous. “Every time we’re together, he made us laugh throughout the day because he won’t stop telling us stories.”
Miss Tete Togba, fiancee of the deceased, narrates that on Saturday morning, they both woke up from bed and the deceased asked her to prepare water to bathe before going to work.
She continues that after bathing, the deceased ate and went to work but while at work, he called her to come to the workplace.
“When I got there, he asked me to carry the meat he bought to cook pepper soup for him, that which I did”, she bursts into tears.
“But to my surprise, after I finished cooking the food, I decided to visit the tailor shop because I had clothes there that I should’ve worn for our program on Sunday”, Tete adds.
She says while at the tailor shop, information suddenly came that one of the painters of the mosque got electrocuted.
“So, I got shocked because my heart ran directly to Emmanuel because he told me at the time, he was giving me the meat that I shouldn’t call him because he was going on top of the mosque to paint”, she recollects.
Tete: “Upon hearing the information, I immediately called his number; the phone rang but no answer and I even tried to get to the scene but it was difficult to see the person because of the population during the time. After few hours, when I called back, it was the President of the Nimbains residing in Maryland that answered the phone to inform me that it was ‘E-man’ who got electrocuted.”
The deceased’s fiancee discloses that their relationship had lasted for some time but they were not fortunate to have a child, but adds that she was told he left four children in Nimba county.
The deceased, according to sources, was born and reared in Nimba but came to Maryland county because of job purpose.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police have immediately dispatched a team of investigators that comprises health workers, community leaders, and local authorities to verify the actual cause of death.
Preliminary investigation and examination conducted by both the Police and 15-man jurors confirmed subsequently that the late Emmanuel Vaye was electrocuted by tension wires of the Liberia Electricity Corporation while painting the top of the mosque.
The deceased’s body was taken from the scene immediately due to fear of angry citizens stoning the mosque.
The Police are currently interrogating heads of the Muslim community about the contract reached with the victim prior to his death. Editing by Jonathan Browne
