Five-year-old electrocuted, two friends injured at south Delhi park

The incident happened on Wednesday with the electricity department officials claiming that the loose wire was used by someone in the neighbourhood to illegally draw power from an electric pole.

New Delhi: A five-year-old boy was electrocuted and two other children were injured after they came in contact with the iron railing of a public park in south Delhi’s Khanpur which was in touch with a live wire, police and electricity department officials said. The park is reportedly managed by the south municipal corporation of Delhi (SDMC).

Police said the three children, from the JJ Colony in Khanpur, had reportedly gone to the park to see a monkey performing tricks with its trainer. (Picture for representational purposes only)

The incident happened on Wednesday with the electricity department officials claiming that the loose wire was used by someone in the neighbourhood to illegally draw power from an electric pole.

The incident comes weeks after three minor girls and two adults, who tried to save them, were electrocuted by a loose electric wire at a grocery shop in Ghaziabad’s Rakesh Marg on September 1.

According to police, the three children involved in Wednesday’s mishap belonged to the JJ Colony in Khanpur and had reportedly gone to the park to see a monkey performing tricks with its trainer.

“Around 4.30 pm, my grandson touched the electric pole and suffered electric shock. The other two children tried to save him one after the other and suffered electric shock... While they somehow survived, my grandson could not be saved,” said the grandmother of the deceased child.

Their families claimed the two children, aged five and six, were admitted to a private hospital and discharged on Thursday. Police said they have registered a case in connection with the incident.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said the police control room received a call about the incident at 4.40 pm on Wednesday, following which a police team headed by a sub-inspector from the Neb Sarai police station rushed to the spot.

“An initial enquiry has revealed that on Wednesday, a live electric wire of one of the temporary connections fell on the ground, causing the casualty. We have registered a case and further action is being taken,” said DCP Thakur.

A BSES spokesperson said, “As per the preliminary investigation, it appears that illegal electricity wires were being drawn by hawkers from the nearby jhuggis in the vicinity. One of these illegal live wires fell down, charging the railings around the park, leading to the unfortunate incident... We are fully cooperating in the police investigation and our condolences are with the family of the deceased.”

The deceased child’s grandmother alleged that instances of live wires coming in contact with the park’s railings are common during rainy season. “Despite informing the local councilor and municipal officials, nothing was done,” she alleged.