Boy, 12, critical after railway cable shock

Loose power line blamed for ‘catastrophic incident’

A 12-yeAr-old boy was fighting for his life in hospital last night after he was electrocuted in a ‘catastrophic incident’ involving overhead railway power lines.

The boy, named only as daniel, is said to be in a critical condition after receiving an electric shock around 6.30pm on Sunday, near Possilpark, Glasgow.

People nearby described hearing a loud bang before rushing out to see the youngster lying on the ground.

eyewitnesses said they saw the schoolboy pick up what appeared to be loose cabling before he was blown off his feet.

Charred marks could be seen on the stone wall of a bridge yesterday, next to the power lines where the incident took place.

The boy’s friend is believed to have run to get help, and his mother, linda Cruikshanks, 47, told how her son had been left distraught by what happened.

Miss Cruikshanks, from Milton, north Glasgow, wrote on Facebook: ‘Thanks everyone for your concern, it was my son raphael and his friend daniel. The boys found the cable on the grass not realising what it was. daniel went to throw it on the wall and this is when he got electrocuted.’

She wrote that daniel was in hospital and her son was ‘as well as can be expected’, adding: ‘I would like to thank all the neighbours who ran to their support.’

The injured child’s mother issued a message through a local community social media page last night. The No1seems2care Facebook page wrote: ‘The mother of the 12-year-old-boy struck by the power cable at Ashgill rd/Colston rd has contacted us as she wants to thank whoever called the emergency services as their quick action saved her son’s life.

‘But he is still in a serious condition. This incident is far more serious than we first thought and we now have serious safety concerns about the layout of this location.

‘Thanks again to whoever made that call.’

Carol o’Brien, 55, said: ‘I was sitting in the house and I saw this big orange light, then I heard a bang. I saw another orange light and I heard a second bang.

‘I just want to know if the boy is oK – the shock he took yesterday was massive. When the paramedic got him out, you could smell burning.’

An image of the site where the incident happened shows an area of the bridge with scorch marks.

detective Inspector Brian McAleese from British Transport Police said urgent inquiries were being made into the incident. He added: ‘This was a catastrophic incident for the young boy, who remains in hospital receiving treatment to a number of very serious injuries. His condition is believed to be life threatening.’

A Network rail spokesman said: ‘The public can help to stay safe by keeping off the tracks and away from overhead power lines – which carry up to 25,000 volts of electricity. Anyone coming into contact with the overhead line could be killed or seriously injured.’