Villagers Blame Power Department Negligence After Fatal Mishap
Key Points:
- Electrician Satyendra Mehta electrocuted while repairing transformer in Palamu
- Incident occurred at Sukhro-Selari village under Parsai grid on Saturday night
- Family accuses electricity department of negligence, demands compensation
PALAMU – An electrician died on the spot on Saturday night after being electrocuted while repairing a transformer in Palamu district.
The deceased, identified as Satyendra Mehta, was a resident of Parsawan village under the Tarhasi block. However, the mishap itself took place at Sukhro-Selari village, which falls under the Parsai grid.
Mehta had gone to carry out repair work on a transformer when the accident occurred. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said the power supply was suddenly restored while the repair work was still underway.
As a result, Mehta came into contact with a powerful electric current. The shock was severe enough that he died at the site of the accident.
Besides the immediate tragedy, the incident drew a large crowd of villagers to the spot soon after news of the death spread. Local residents gathered in significant numbers as word travelled through the area.
The victim’s family members alleged serious negligence on the part of the electricity department. “Those responsible for this carelessness must face strict action,” a family member said, according to residents present at the scene.
In addition, the family demanded appropriate compensation for the electrician’s death. They called for departmental accountability, insisting that officials and staff found responsible be punished.
Transformer repair mishaps have periodically been reported from various parts of Jharkhand, with power department accountability frequently becoming a point of contention following such incidents. On the other hand, electrocution deaths during routine repair or maintenance work have also been recorded elsewhere in the state, including a case where a resident died from electric shock in a housing colony.
Similar tragedies have struck other districts as well. An East Singhbhum resident died from electrocution under comparable circumstances, while an electrocution incident in Bokaro had earlier claimed multiple lives.
Efforts to improve the state’s power infrastructure have continued in parallel, with authorities previously moving to lay foundations for power sub-stations in the Palamu region. Furthermore, the state utility has sought to modernize consumer services through initiatives such as its WhatsApp-based service for electricity consumers.
