KE negligence claims life of another child

Victim was playing with his friends when he touched an electric pole

KARACHI: Another child fell prey to the negligence and alleged apathy of the city’s sole power supply company - K-Electric - on Friday when he was electrocuted to death as he came in contact with an electric pole in Mawach Goth.

The incident took place within the limits of the Mochko police station in Wichani mohalla, Mawach Goth. The deceased was shifted to the hospital where he was identified as Umair, eight, son of Muhammad Shakeel.

Neighbours and relatives of the victim staged a protest demonstration in Mawach Goth, decrying what they termed as the KE’s negligence which resulted in the child’s death. The protesters shouted slogans against the power utility company and called for strict action against its officials.

After the incident, KE staff who reached the site for inspection returned without any action due to the enraged protesters.



Commenting on the incident, Mochko SHO Muhammad Naeem said that the child was playing with his friends when he came in contact with an electric pole. According to Naeem, the family of the deceased child has abstained from taking any legal action.

He added that KE staff, which reached the site for maintenance, was received by enraged residents of the area and consequently left without doing any maintenance work. However, after the police controlled the situation, the KE staff returned to Wichani mohalla for maintenance work.

Meanwhile, regurgitating the power utility’s standard response, the KE spokesperson said, “With reference to the unfortunate incident reported today, KE extends deep sympathies to the affected family and is fully investigating the matter. As per preliminary assessment, no broken wire report was received from the area.”

When does it end?

This is the fourth such incident reported on KE’s negligence since July.

A rickshaw driver, Hazir Khan, lost his life after coming into contact with an electric pole in Keamari Town on September 26. He was a father to six children. Neighbours and relatives of the victim had staged a protest near the Ghareeb Shah Shrine in Keamari Town’s Jackson Market and placed blame on the power utility for Khan’s death.

The protesters had said complaints regarding electric current flowing through the pole were filed several times with the KE, but no action was taken.

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 the night of September 26, 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.

Khan’s eldest son has a heart condition, while his younger daughter was suffering from a cognitive disorder. “Who will bear the responsibility for these children now?” Aijaz, a cousin of the deceased, had questioned. “Who is responsible for Hazir Khan’s death?” He demanded strict action to be taken against those responsible for the incident.

Separately, both arms of eight-year-old Muhammad Umar, had to be amputated after a high-tension wire of KE fell on him outside his home on the third day of Eidul Azha. A team of doctors at Civil Hospital, Karachi’s Burns Centre managed to save the child’s life after hours-long efforts.

When the wire fell on Umar, he promptly used his other hand to try and remove the wire, but the high voltage quickly gripped his body and caused severe burns on both arms.



Meanwhile, another similar case of an 11-year-old, Haris, who also lost both arms as a result of receiving electric shocks by high tension wires, surfaced in the media after news of Umar’s amputation.

Harris’ father, Abdul Qayyum, who is a rickshaw driver, had said that his son was playing on the roof on July 25 when he slipped and got tangled up in high tension wires. Haris had been shifted to Civil hospital and the doctors successfully managed to save his life but had to cut off both his arms.

Qayyum had said he is poor and was clueless on who to contact. He had pleaded for help for his son’s treatment.

Civil hospital’s Dr Taufiq said arms of both the boys had to be cut off to save their lives as the infection would’ve spread to the rest of their bodies.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2018.