An unidentified middle-aged man reportedly fell into a soakaway and died at Oredo Primary Health Centre in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, yesterday, during registration for free medical care.
The free medical care for residents of the state is organised by the state government in collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the United States of America.
Vanguard gathered that the middle-aged man left the long queue during the free registration exercise to ease himself within the premises when the tragedy occurred.
He was said to have mistakenly stepped on a soakaway within the premises and slipped into it and got drowned in the process.
It was also gathered that there was no caution sign around the dilapidated soakaway, which was covered with grasses.
The incident temporarily caused panic among the health workers and those waiting to be registered as they wailed uncontrollably.
It was further learned that the victim was brought out dead from the soakaway with the aid of an excavator brought to the premises by the emergency response team, which came four hours later.
A visit to the Oredo Primary Health Centre revealed that the registration for free medical care was temporarily suspended after the tragedy resumed.
Prof. Akoria Obehi, the state Commissioner for Health, could not be reached for comment just as the spokesman of the Nigeria Police, Edo State Command, Mr Kotongs Bello, also did not respond to his calls.