Power company to investigate maintenance and safety records after death of boy in unlocked electricity room
The death of a child who wandered into an unlocked power room is to be investigated by the country’s electrical authority.
Salem Ali Al Miri, 6, was last seen alive playing outside his home in the Ras Al Khaimah town of Al Shamal on Saturday.
He was found dead by his mother hours later when she and others went looking for him.
The boy’s family said the neighbourhood’s residents had long called for the electrical room close to the family home to be locked or relocated because of the danger it posed to children.
The Federal Electricity and Water Authority told The National that it would investigate claims that the electrical room was left unlocked.
“An internal committee was formed to further investigate the reasons that led to the boy’s death and we are still waiting to receive the investigation report from RAK Police and the forensics report to take necessary action,” said Mohammad Saleh, director general of the authority.
Mr Saleh said the authority would look at maintenance schedules and safety inspections to see if any transformers could have been faulty or contributed to the accident.
The boy’s family said the electrical room should have been moved to a non-residential area.
Yesterday, residents of Al Shamal said the authority should have taken safety precautions long ago rather than “waiting for an accident”.
“Prevention is better than cure,” said Abdullah Al Miri, a neighbour of the family.
“The authority should have taken action before the accident and that is what we have been calling for, for years.”
Mr Al Miri, an Emirati, said he worried about the safety of his own three children.
He said he visited the municipality and the authority five times, along with other residents, to request that the power room was relocated.
“It’s not only the electrical room that we are afraid of, it’s also the electrical boxes between the houses, which are very old and always open,” he said.
“We offered to pay for the relocation of the room but no action was taken.
The problem is not only in our area but also in all the areas around us, like Al Zahra and Seih Ibrahim.
“The family should also be compensated for their loss because it’s the fault of the authority, not the family.”
Salem was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
We offered to pay for the relocation of the room but no action was taken ABDULLAH AL MIRI Neighbour, Al Shamal, RAK