3 Workers Dead, 3 Injured in Pakistan When Tent Pole Hits Electrical Wire

LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Three labourers were electrocuted while three others suffered severe shocks when an iron pole being erected for a wedding ceremony touched the live electric wires near Tajpura in Shadbagh police limits on Saturday.

Police investigators disclosed that the victims including Naveed, resident of Sialkot, Mohsin, resident of Chiniot, Munawar, resident of Begum Kot, Shujaud Din, resident of Toba Tek Singh, Mohammad Hafeez, resident of Gulshan-e-Ravi and an unidentified man were hired from Bhati Chowk by a local tent service.
While talking to TheNation, Sub-Inspector (SI) Khalid Mehmood, who visited the site, said the deceased Naveed, Mohsin and one other, yet to be identified were hired by one Malik Naeem, owner of Usman Tent Service located in Sanda, but all of the deceased were untrained in this profession.

He said the owner fully knew about their inexperienced background before he hired them after promising to pay Rs 300 per person on daily basis.

Earlier, six persons were hired by Malik Naeem from Bhati Chowk and were sent with a marriage party to make arrangements at Tajpura on Saturday morning.

“In fact, Abdul Rehman, resident of Taj-Park and a goldsmith by profession, gave contract to one Malik Naeem for the arrangements of wedding of her daughter. But Malik Naeem further awarded contract to one Mujahid who hired the said labourers, who were ignorant from the catering,” sources close to the investigators said.
They were erecting tent at Tajpura ground when a pole mistakenly touched the live electric wires, as a result of which all of them received severe shocks. A few people also witnessed the dreadful scene when these labourers were shuddering owing to electric shocks at about 11:15 am but none of them dared to rescue them, a witness said requesting not to be named. He, however, believed three people had already breathed their last when the rescue teams reached the site.
Later, Edhi ambulances and Rescue 1122 officials reached the site and shifted the injured people to a nearby hospital where their condition was told out of danger till filing of this report.

The SI Khalid Mehmood claimed to have arrested the owner of Usman Tent Service Malik Naeem and a case (920/10) had been registered against him.

The bodies of three people were removed to the City morgue for autopsy and the heirs of the deceased had also been informed about the untoward incident. Further investigation is underway.

Story via The Nation