KE’s faulty wires claim life of another child

Eight-year-old Khizer Hayat’s case is the sixth incident of the power utility’s negligence since July

KARACHI: A five-year-old boy died of electrocution when he came in contact with a broken electric wire in Surjani Town on Friday. The electricity wire had broken down on Thursday and despite multiple complaints made to the K-Electric (KE), the wire wasn't fixed.

As a result of KE's negligence, the young boy lost his life.  This is the fifth such incident reported on KE's negligence since July.

The boy, identified as Khizer Hayat, was electrocuted in Surjani Town's Sector 35 and was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where hospital staff confirmed his death. Hayat was visiting his grandfather's house in Surjani Town.

 



Residents of the area said they had asked the KE's staff that visited the area on their call to fix the wire but they said that since the residents don't pay their bills, the wire could not be mended.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh reached the home of the deceased and took details from Hayat's father. The father said that he lost his son due to the negligence of KE and now he will raise his voice against them and register a case.

Sheikh said, "The broken electric wire claimed the life of the young boy. A chicken also died of electrocution. The incident is unforgivable and we stand by the affected family so that in future no other child becomes a victim of KE's negligence."

The boy was laid to rest in a local graveyard after funeral prayers at a mosque near the deceased's home at Yasrab Goth near Super Highway.

Dereliction of duty

Hayat's case is the sixth incident reported on KE's negligence since July and the third death caused by it.

Last week, and eight-year-old boy, Umair, son of Muhammad Shakeel 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.

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.



A rickshaw driver, Hazir Khan, also 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.

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. Umar is compelled to spend the rest of his life handicapped.

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.

In all five cases, the city's sole power supply company, in its usual apathetic fashion refused to take responsibility and simply regurgitated its standard response. The KE spokesperson said, "With reference to the unfortunate incident reported [on Friday], KE extends deepest sympathies to the affected family and is fully investigating the matter."

He added that KE would like to reiterate that such incidents are caused by pervasive kunda wires in katchi abadis and unplanned encroachments.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2018.