It was a cold and dark night, the second day without electricity in our area. We were all sitting in the dimly lit room, waiting for PHCN to restore electricity as the strike had been suspended. Suddenly, we heard a humming sound and the lights came back to life.
We were so relieved and happy to have electricity back. We turned on our TVs, fridge fans, and lights, enjoying the cool breeze and bright lights. But our joy was brief.
Just as we were settling in, we heard a loud pop from the living room. We rushed in to find that our two TVs had blown up, smoke rising from the screens. We were in shock, wondering what had just happened. My father ran for the cut-out and disconnected it before any more issues came.
But that was not the only problem. We soon realized that the wires connected to our neighbor's house had caught fire. Flames were licking at the windows, and we knew we had to act fast.
We quickly scooped handfuls of wet sand and threw it at the fire, trying to put it out. It was a desperate moment, but we managed to stop the fire from spreading. Our neighbor's house was saved, but the damage was done.
We were left standing in the darkness, surrounded by the smell of smoke and burnt wires. Two days of blackout, and then this.
We later learned that the electricity surge had caused the damage. Everyone was safe, at least that's what matters for now and the issue will be fixed soon