Home News 3-year-old NC child dies after touching live wires

3-year-old NC child dies after touching live wires

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The incident occurred when the child touched a drum that was filled with water. The steel drum was made live by exposed electrical wires connected to the house.

File image. Picture: Bongani Mbatha /African News Agency (ANA)

A THEE-YEAR-OLD child died after being electrocuted by an exposed electrical wire in Pampierstad.

SHEQS manager for Eskom Distribution in the Northern Cape, Laetitia Smith said on Wednesday the incident occurred when the child touched a drum that was filled with water.

“The steel drum was made live by exposed electrical wires connected to the house. The wires came from the house’s corrugated iron roof.

“It is a terrible tragedy. We express our deepest condolences to the family for their loss. We urge all our customers to always check the wires outside their homes. If the wire is damaged, it can electrify all metal objects it touches.”

Smith added that this was the second major incident involving the injury of a minor that was reported to Eskom in the Northern Cape in the past three months.

“In late November 2020, a nine-year-old boy from Postmasburg was hospitalised after sustaining agonising electrical burn wounds after climbing an electrical pole and touching the live transformer. The incident was reported by the community to an Eskom official the following day when regular infrastructure audits were being conducted. The boy had apparently climbed the pole to retrieve eggs from a bird’s nest.”

She stated that Eskom conducted regular safety awareness outreach programmes in schools and communities.

“One of our main messages to warn children is to stay away from all electrical infrastructure. These awareness sessions aim to educate people on the dangers of electricity particularly what they can do to avoid making contact with electricity or even worse, getting electrocuted.”

Smith encouraged people to be vigilant when it comes to Eskom infrastructure.

“Anti-climbing devices and wired fencing are there to keep people safe, and when these are vandalised or stolen, curious and adventurous children can get seriously hurt.

“At our community activations, we always advise people to conduct regular checks around their homes such as making sure that their house’s electrical supply is earthed, that wiring is properly and safely insulated, and checking for exposed wires on power cords and wiring. These are small checks that many neglect. Not taking care of these issues can be the difference between life and death.

“Incidents such as these that changed the lives of two families forever strengthen our resolve to continue creating awareness about electricity safety. Electricity is as useful as it can be dangerous and people must always be careful,” she said.

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