Kumar Giri, 18, died of electrocution, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sthaneswar Regmi. Among the injured is a seven-year-old girl. [break]
The injured are receiving treatment at Scheer Memorial Hospital, Banepa. According to Regmi, the wire snapped as it did not have a supporting pole.
After the incident, locals and relatives picketed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) office at Melamchi demanding treatment and compensation. They left after the NEA branch assured that the family of the victims would be provided Rs 500,000 as per the NEA´s policy.
This is the 11th electrocution death in 15 months in the district. This year alone, eight people have died of electrocution. Negligence on the part of NEA and users, insufficient sub-stations, use of sub-standard wire, power theft, and irregularities in distribution of connections, among others, are believed to have caused the deaths.
The NEA has admitted to these problems, but has done nothing to address them.
“Irregularity in the distribution of electric lines is the main headache,” said Gopal Chand Khatiwada, distribution chief of NEA´s Sidhu-Dolakha branch.
According to Khatiwada, electricity was distributed to villagers during the Maoist insurgency when technicians could not go to the villages. He said that poles made after felling commonly found trees were used as electricity poles back then. “This is the root cause of the problem,” he added.
Insufficient sub-stations and over-distribution of electricity has led to the problem of high voltage. The sub-stations are too far apart and the poles are too weak. “There is a high risk of the poles collapsing and wires coming in contact, leading to high voltage,” he said.
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