Student electrocuted to death while scaling school wall in Hyderabad

Headmaster says HESCO had been asked to remove the wire in question several times

HYDERABAD: A school student was electrocuted to death while climbing a wall in a school in Hyderabad's Hali Road area on Friday. The incident occurred in Khalid Memorial Government Secondary School in American Quarters.

The student, Muhammad Hamza, 15, son of Muhammad Aslam, was struck by a 11,000 KV transmission wire of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO). The body was pulled down from the wall after asking HESCO to shut down the power supply.

Hamza, who was enrolled in class 10, was declared dead when he was taken to the government hospital.

The school's headmaster, Jumma Khan, told the media that they have complained to HESCO several times to remove the high transmission wire from the school's wall but to no avail. The headmaster informed that Hamza climbed the wall during recess. According to him, another student was injured by electrocution at the same wall some time ago.

He told that the five-room school has been under construction for the past 12 years without completion and that currently over 250 students are enrolled. The school operates in two shifts.

The chairperson of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) Union Committee 87 wrote to HESCO on September 17, last month, to remove the wire. Chairperson Iqbal Shah Bhukhari said that he also approached HESCO officials several times in this regard.

HESCO Hali Road Sub-divisional Officer Muhammad Irfan said that as per the standard operating procedure, electric poles are installed at least six feet away from residential units. He believed the pole in the area was probably installed well before the school's construction. He said that the replacement of the poles in the locality has been approved by HESCO high-ups and work will also start soon.