Alhaji Imam Alusine Khairaba Mansaray: Siera Leone Telegraph: 21 November 2024:
In recent times, the street railings or guards constructed at Lumley Street in Freetown have proven to be a tragic hazard to public safety. Since last year, four lives have been claimed due to electrocution, the most recent victim being a man who was fatally struck by a live current while attempting to cross the street around 2:00am this past Monday.
These incidents, involving both pedestrians and hawkers, highlight a severe and urgent danger that requires immediate attention from the government and concerned citizens alike.
The railings, which were initially installed to provide a safer pedestrian experience, have instead become a source of untimely death. Electric poles positioned dangerously close to the railings have caused the tragic deaths of four individuals, including vulnerable street vendors and a 10-year-old child.
These fatalities are a direct result of poor infrastructure planning and a lack of proper safeguards to prevent electric currents from coursing through the railings.
The first fatality was a roast beef seller, a hardworking vendor who was electrocuted while crossing the street. He inadvertently touched the railing, which had been electrified by a faulty connection. His sudden and tragic death set off alarms, but no significant corrective measures were taken.
Then came the horrifying incident of an elderly woman, another street vendor, who was thrown into the middle of the street by the very same electrical hazard. A vibrant young boy, just 10 years old, was sent to the market by his family to buy food when he also fell victim to this deadly current.
These lives, full of promise and purpose, were senselessly cut short by an avoidable danger.
The most recent victim, a young man returning home from a night out, adds to this growing list of tragic incidents. His death, occurring in the early hours of Monday morning, underscores the continuing threat posed by this faulty infrastructure, which endangers anyone who walks along Lumley Street.
It is time for the government, city officials, and electrical utility companies to take responsibility for these deaths. The design flaw and negligence in maintaining these street railings are evident, and immediate action is needed to prevent further loss of life.
Hawkers, pedestrians, and children who frequent the streets daily cannot continue to live in fear of crossing a road or using public walkways.
As citizens, we must also raise our voices in calling for swift intervention. These tragic accidents could have been avoided with better planning and oversight, and now it is crucial to demand that the necessary changes be implemented.
Public safety is a basic right, and it is the duty of those in power to protect that right by ensuring that streets and public areas are safe from such hazards.
The time for action is now, before another innocent life is lost.
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