KE’s faulty wire endangers life of another boy

This is the fourth case in two months

KARACHI: Another young boy was electrocuted by a falling high-tension wire in Bin Qasim Town, who is now fighting for life in a private hospital. He was identified as 13-year-old Bakhshal, son of Zafar Shah and is a resident of Shah Latif Town.

According to Bin Qasim Town SHO Arif Razzaq, Bakshal's condition is critical and he is under treatment at the intensive-care unit. However, he said that the family has not contacted the police as yet.



Bakhshal was electrocuted by a falling high-tension wire while riding a bicycle near Al-Hamra Pump in Shah Latif Town. He was severely burnt and injured. The locals tried to provide relief through various remedies but the boy's condition didn't stabilise. The police found the boy unconscious on the road and shifted him to Liaquat National Hospital. Due to severe burn injuries, the boy could not be identified immediately, said Razzaq. The police began investigation on their own as no one had contacted them regarding a missing person even hours after the incident. A message was also circulated on police control.

A K-Electric (KE) spokesperson said that the power utility was "deeply saddened" by the unfortunate incident in Shah Latif Town and that they have extended complete medical support on humanitarian grounds while they investigate the incident in detail. This is the fourth incident of electrocution by a high-tension wire in the past two months.



Earlier, two boys were handicapped in two separate incidents of faulty high-tension wires. Eight-year-old Muhammad Umer was electrocuted when a KE high-tension wire fell on him outside his home on the third day of Eidul Azha. He was critically injured as the wire fell on his left arm. He tried to remove the wire with his other hand but the high voltage quickly gripped his body and caused severe burns on both the arms. The boy was taken to Civil Hospital's Burns Centre and both of his arms had to be amputated.

In another similar incident, Haris, 11, lost his both arms as a result of getting electrocuted by high tension wires in August. Haris was admitted to Civil Hospital for a month. His father, Abdul Qayyum, who is a rickshaw driver, said that his son was playing on the roof on July 25 when he slipped and got tangled up with the high tension wires. Haris was shifted to the hospital and the doctors successfully managed to save his life but had to cut off his both arms. He spent one month in the Burns Centre under treatment.

KE also came under fire in September when Hazir Khan, a rickshaw driver by profession, was electrocuted to death as he came in contact with an electric pole in Keamari Town. Khan was a resident of Kamela Chowk in Keamari Town and used to drive a rickshaw to support his family, which consisted of his wife and their six children. On September 5, Khan had parked his rickshaw at around 11pm and was going home after feeding his buffalos when he came in contact with the electric pole. The current racing through the pole gripped his body and he died soon after.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2018.