Muslim electrocuted in flooded Lapu-Lapu City mosque

A 21-YEAR-OLD man was electrocuted while his father was injured inside a mosque as  they were preparing the place for worship service in barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, last Wednesday.

Emadodin Ameril of sitio Iba was declared dead by physicians when he was rushed to a Lapu-Lapu City hospital.

Police said Emadodin, together with his elder brother Sihawe and father Mango, went to the mosque around noon to prepare the facilities for a 1 p.m. worship service.

Father and sons found the place flooded in ankle-deep water but went on with their chores.

Police said Emadodin was the mosque’s bilal, whose role is to announce that prayers were about  to start.

It was also his task to  prepare the sound system.

While Emadodin was handling the microphone, the microphone wire  detached and dropped in the floodwater.

Emadodin was electrocuted and fell in the water.

Sihawe and Mango who were also standing in ankle-deep water in one corner of the mosque also felt the electric  current but were able to jump to higher ground.

A few minutes later, the two disconnected the power supply and brought  Emadodin to a hospital, where physicians  declared him already dead.

Mango, who burned his hands and had difficulty breathing, was also brought to a hospital and advised by doctors to stay for further observation.

He insisted on going home to prepare to  bury his son.

His other son  Sihawe was not injured and  sought their neighbors’ help to transport his brother and father to the hospital.

In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Mango said that before the accident, there  were already complaints about grounded wiring in the mosque.

Mango said the area has three mosques.

The accident took place in a mosque where they seldom held  worship services.

He said the mosque where they usually frequent was in knee-deep water at the time.

The family did not immediately report the mishap  to the police but did so later on the advice of  community leaders./CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA