Overhead electric line causes 40% burn injuries to child

• Boy awaits plastic surgery
• Family blames CESC; Officers deny negligence

Mysore/Mysuru: In an incident reminiscent of the accident that occurred in Mysuru on Oct.4, 2016, when the then 13-year-old Meghana lost her right hand due to electric shock while watching a helicopter flying at V.V. Mohalla, a 5-year-old boy recently suffered burn injuries when electric sparks flew from a bunch of overhead wires that were close to a house.

Though the incident occurred on May 8, it has come to light now. The little boy, who studies in pre-kg school, suffered 40 percent burn injuries and is awaiting plastic surgery. He is out of danger now but has to keep visiting hospitals for multiple treatments before the plastic surgery is done.

Little Karthikeyan, a resident of C Block in J.P. Nagar, came in contact with the overhead electricity wires that were very close to the house where he was playing.

On May 8 at 4 pm, he headed out to play and reached the second floor of a house opposite his house. While he was standing on the staircase, there was a loud blast and electricity sparks flew all over.

Dhanraj Sitharam, a resident of the locality and Karthikeyan’s uncle, told Star of Mysore that the sparks hit the upper body of the little boy and his face, hands, chest and shoulders got burnt. “He was in a semi-conscious state and we rushed him to the nearby Kamakshi Hospital. His parents Babblu and Manju were shell shocked. After primary treatment, the boy was referred to JSS Hospital,” he said.

After treatment in the emergency ward, the doctors informed the family that Karthikeyan or Laddu as he is affectionately called, had suffered 40 percent (fourth-degree) burns. He was later shifted to the ICU, Dhanraj added. Karthikeyan has been discharged from the hospital after being in the ICU for over 15 days.

“This is a clear case of negligence by Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) who had left a high voltage (11,000 volts) naked wire in close proximity to the house above which tree branches were hanging. The tree branches might have triggered the blast and the family is awaiting justice,” he said.

CESC denies negligence

Sridhar, CESC Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Chamundipuram, told SOM that the building owner had constructed the house close to the power line. “The electric wire was dangerously close to the house and the boy might have thrown a ball on them that triggered the blast. The building owner has violated the rules and there is no negligence on our part,” he clarified.

While the little boy’s family maintained that Karthikeyan was standing on the staircase when the blast occurred, the CESC Officer maintained that a ball was thrown at the wires that triggered the blast. No one knows what really happened that evening. 

Now, the electric pole has been shifted to the opposite side of the road and the wires are at a distance from the row houses. The CESC team has insulated the naked wires to prevent further accidents.