The National Electricity and Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has taken strict action against Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) for failing to control the incidents of electrocution.
According to the details by the media, NEPRA imposed a mammoth fine of Rs. 10 million on QESCO for not complying with safety measures which caused the death of 15 people in the last 2 years.
The regulatory authority constituted a 2-member committee to probe the deaths and the body found that QESCO was responsible for 4 deaths out of 15. As a result, NEPRA imposed a heavy fine on QESCO. Moreover, NEPRA has ordered QESCO to pay Rs3.5 million and offer employment to families of deceased citizens.
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Electrocuted to death
According to the media in 2019, at least 879 people died from 2015-2019 due to electrocution in the jurisdiction of state-owned power distribution companies, revealed the State of Industry Report 2018 by NEPRA. Quetta Electric Supply Company was responsible for 44 deaths.
In 2019, a labourer was electrocuted to death when his hand touched a live wire while working on the roof of a house in the jurisdiction of Quaidabad Police Station in Quetta. Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the dead body to Civil Hospital Quetta for autopsy. According to rescue sources, the deceased was identified as Abdul Hassan. The body of Abdul Hassan was handed over to his heirs after completing medico-legal formalities.
Another incident took place in 2019 when a seven-year-old boy suffered electric shocks after colliding with an 11,000kV wire passing through the roof of his house. His parents said that their child’s killing is due to the negligence of the Quetta Electric Supply Company.
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In a recent incident earlier this year, a laborer was electrocuted to death while working at Imdad Chowk in the Jinnah Road area of the provincial capital of Balochistan.
According to rescue sources, the laborer who was working near Imdad Chowk in the Jinnah Road area of Quetta, died when he received severe electric shocks.
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