Mother, girl child die of electrocution in Bengaluru

PTI, Nov 19, 2023, 12:46 PM IST

A 23-year-old woman and her nine-month-old baby girl died when the former accidentally stepped on a live electric wire lying unattended on the pavement near Hope Farm here early on Sunday, police said.

The incident occurred at around 6 am when Soundarya and her child Suviksha were walking home after arriving from Tamil Nadu, sources said, adding that their luggage-trolley bag and other belongings were lying scattered at the scene.

According to police, both the mother and the child were electrocuted and died on the spot with burns.

The woman’s husband Santosh Kumar tried to save his wife and child, but was helpless, official sources said.

The Kadugodi police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to the hospital for further procedures.

A case of negligence was registered against the concerned Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) officials, and three of them were being questioned.

Stating that an inquiry is on into the incident, Karnataka Energy Minister K J George said, the line man, Assistant Engineer (AE) and Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) have been suspended for dereliction of duty, and the state government will give Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased.

”In a deeply unfortunate incident, a lady and a child have lost their lives to electrocution close to Hope Farm in Whitefield, Bengaluru. We have taken up an inquiry into the incident that has led to these unfortunate deaths and are awaiting the report. The line man, AE and AEE have been suspended for dereliction of duty. Anyone else responsible for this accident will be dealt with tough actions, so that such mishaps do not recur in the future,” he posted on ‘X’.

”Our prayers are with the families that have lost their precious members. The state government will give Rs 5 lakh each to the family members who have lost their kins in this grave incident,” he added.

In a post on ‘X’, Member of Parliament from Bengaluru Central P C Mohan said, ”The electrocution at Hope farm Junction, where a young woman lost her life, is heartbreaking and highlights the urgency for BESCOM to adopt preventive measures. A heightened sense of responsibility from BESCOM is crucial in averting such incidents and ensuring a safer environment.”