The boy whose name was not released, died after an all-night prayer in a church on Saturday morning.
The police also confirmed that 15 other people were choked during the vigil.
According to
PM News,
a group called “Young People’s Christian Fellowship in Ututu, Arochukwu
area of the state, held a vigil and most of them were reportedly made
unconscious by fumes from a generating set which was used for the prayer
meeting.
Speaking to newsmen, the police Area Commander, Aba, Peter Wabara said,
We
got a phone call this morning that some persons were allegedly lying
dead in a church at 8 Eziukwu road by Milverton Avenue, Aba.”
“So
I mobilised my men and called in some doctor friends since the
government doctors were on strike and they accompanied us to the scene
of the event.”
“There we looked through the glass door
and found them lying unconscious in a scattered manner. Fortunately,
some of them were breathing so we moved them to two hospitals.”
Wabara
said that 11 of the worshipers were admitted at the Austin-Graces
hospital on Okigwe road while four of them were moved to Goodness and
Mercy hospital on Faulks road, Aba.
A police source that was among
the rescuers, told newsmen that the boy died as a result of the weight
of his heavily-built father which fell on him when the man became
unconscious.
The source said the child was seating beside his
father and when they became unconscious, the father unknowingly fell to
that side of his seat, pressing the boy and making breathing hard for
him.