On 19th November, a 23-year-old woman and her nine-month-old daughter were electrocuted while walking close to the Hope Farm intersection in Whitefield, Bengaluru which is regarded as a part of the IT corridor. The deceased have been identified as Soundharya and her baby Suviksha, who were residents of AKG Colony which is within the jurisdiction of Kadugodi police station.
The unfortunate incident occurred around 6 am when the two were on their way to the house of Soundharya’s mother. They had returned to Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu and were electrocuted when Soundharya stepped on a dangling live wire lying unattended on the footpath. The bodies were moved to Vydehi Hospital for a postmortem after the Kadugodi police arrived on the scene after being informed by the passersby. Other items and a trolley bag were strewn all over the accident area.
The mother-daughter duo were charred to death by the time people rushed to help them. The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) was responsible for the live wire that was found on the side of the road, according to the police, and the service provider is now going to face legal action as a case of negligence has been registered against them. A community organisation called Whitefield Rising called for severe punishments for those responsible.
‼️ A young woman was electrocuted to death at Hopefarm Junction today, in the early hours of the morning.
— Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) November 19, 2023
She came in contact with a live BESCOM wire just hanging from the top.
Hopefarm is one of the busiest junctions in Whitefield, with thousands of people walking, waiting… pic.twitter.com/Z8I7BCp0ZD
Shivakumar Gunare, Deputy Commissioner Of Police Whitefield informed, “An investigation has been initiated and the relevant BESCOM officials and staff are being interrogated.” He disclosed that three BESCOM employees have been taken into custody and are being questioned over the fatalities.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan expressed his condolences and described the instance as “heartbreaking” and remarked that it “highlights the urgency for BESCOM to adopt preventive measures. A heightened sense of responsibility from BESCOM is crucial in averting such incidents and ensuring a safer environment.”
The electrocution at Hopefarm Junction, where a young woman lost her life, is heartbreaking and highlights the urgency for BESCOM to adopt preventive measures. A heightened sense of responsibility from BESCOM is crucial in averting such incidents and ensuring a safer environment. pic.twitter.com/yZhp9YBNf7
— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) November 19, 2023
According to a police officer, fibre-optic wires have fallen and are still there on the sidewalk at several city locations. Soundharya reportedly walked on the electric line because she believed it was a fibre-optic cable. Her spouse is from Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore and has a job at a private company in the industrial town of Neyveli which is close to his neighbourhood.
Notably, similar incidents have taken place in the past as well. A girl in Bengaluru died from electrocution in September of last year after she slipped on a wet road. A 22-year-old guy was electrocuted in Bengaluru earlier in April 2022 after coming into contact with a cable wire.
