Five persons were electrocuted on Monday while four others were hospitalized in critical condition after they came in contact with a live wire while erecting a billboard in the Obiri-Ikwerre area of Rumuosi in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident, which occurred around 11:00 a.m caused pandemonium in the area as residents rushed to the scene to rescue the victims.

The victims, who were all workers of a billboard company, were said to have been using a crane to lift the billboard with a metal frame when it came in contact with a high tension cables.

The state police command has confirmed the incident and said it has begun an investigation.

The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said in a statement that the police were alerted to the incident by a concerned citizen.

Iringe-Koko further stated that the police are investigating the cause of the incident and will take necessary action once the investigation is concluded.

“Yes, we are aware. It is very unfortunate. Investigation is ongoing to ascertain what really happened”, she said.

She said the police immediately rushed to the scene and evacuated the victims to the hospital.