Water puddles: Two donkeys, horse ‘die from electric shock’

Dirty water puddles on road thought to carry current; GEPCO denies responsibility.

GUJRANWALA:

Two donkeys and a horse died on Monday morning, reportedly from electric shock.

All three animals had been on a 100-foot stretch of the Ferozewala Road near Chamra Mandi when they “suddenly fell and their bodies started convulsing”, according to the owners.

The incidents took place at around 10 am. Mohammed Ramazan and Munir Ahmed told The Express Tribune that there were large puddles of water on the road after the rain. When their donkeys stepped into the water, they fell down and suffered seizing. Both of them said they were unable to save their animals. They said they jumped to safety – away from the water puddle.



Soon afterwards, Mohammed Aslam’s horse met with the same fate. Aslam was transporting passengers on his tonga. Passengers who introduced themselves as Naveed, Tahir and Mobin told The Express Tribune that they had tried to help the “suffering” horse but received electric shocks themselves. They, too, then jumped to safety. The men weren’t seriously injured but said their arms were numb from the shock.

The three owners said they were devastated because their animals had been their only source of income. They demanded that the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) compensate them for their loss and said they would “become suicide bombers” if they weren’t helped.



Residents of the area said that the incident occurred when electricity was restored to the area after a two-hour closure. People working in factories situated in the area joined the animal owners in their protest. They said the power company was responsible for the incident. They told The Express Tribune that soon after the incident they had called Gepco’s emergency number and requested disconnection of the supply to the area but their request was ignored. They said they had stopped the traffic and sealed a 100-foot stretch of the road to prevent more accidents.

Pakistan Steel Melters Association Chairman Anjum Prevaiz, who also joined the protest, said the men had lost their “source of bread and butter because of Gepco’s negligence”. They should be compensated, he said, adding that those responsible should be fired.

When contacted, Muhammad Tariq, a senior engineer with Gepco, said he was not aware of the incident. “The victims can tell you what happened,” he said, adding that the company was not responsible for accidents.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2013.