PARENTS DIE SAVING BOY FROM GETTING ELECTROCUTED

MANSA: Kulwinder Singh, a daily wage labourer, and his wife, Jaspal Kaur, died saving their 10-year-old son from being electrocuted on the rooftop of their neighbour’s house here on Monday morning.

“The child was trying to catch pigeons while playing on the neighbour’s roof. Suddenly, he came in contact with the 11,000volt high tension wire passing overhead. There was huge spark. His parents on the adjoining building rushed to his rescue. By the time they reached, the boy lost contact with the wire due to severe shock but his parents got electrocuted,” said Baldev Khalsa on whose rooftop the incident occurred.

The couple was charred to death and the bodies were brought down after power department staff arrived. The child suffered burns in a leg and was out of danger after being hospitalised.

The family had come here from Barnala six months ago and stayed on rent near the Sai Mandir in Mansa.

Residents of the area said incidents of electrocution had occurred due to the high tension wire hanging over their houses.

“Two people died last year after coming in contact with the wire. Despite repeated pleas, power officials failed to act. This tragedy should spark action,” said another neighbour, Jagdeep Singh Lali.

The residents demanded action against the electricity department for negligence.

“The wire was installed for tubewell connections in nearby villages. The power trips automatically if anything comes in contact with it. We rushed to the spot as soon as we learnt of the mishap,” said Jagjiwan Singh, a junior engineer of the electricity department in Mansa.

THE CHILD WAS TRYING TO CATCH PIGEONS ON THE ROOF WHEN HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE 11,000VOLT HIGH TENSION WIRE