Three Die in Separate Electrocution Incidents During Varanasi Rains

VARANASI: Three people, including a father and his teenage son, died in two separate electrocution incidents as rain and damp conditions created dangerous electrical hazards in the city. The deaths were reported from Lallapura in the Sigra area and Kalimahal under Chetganj police station.

In Kajipur Khurd, Lallapura, 17-year-old Anas was helping with decorations outside his home for Barawafat when he came into contact with live current, according to police. His father, 45-year-old Salimuddin, also known as Pappu, tried to save him and was electrocuted. The incident occurred at about 8 am, when surfaces and fixtures were wet.

The third victim, identified as 50-year-old Triloki Modanwal, died after reportedly receiving an electric shock from a water cooler at Kalimahal Tiraha. Police and administrative officials reached the locations. The exact technical failures behind both incidents will require inspection of the equipment, wiring, earthing and supply connections involved.

Electrocution during rain is often treated as a freak accident, but the risks are predictable. Damaged insulation, exposed joints, poorly earthed appliances and leakage through wet metal can energise surfaces that look harmless. Floodwater can carry current away from the original fault, making a puddle or nearby railing dangerous before anyone sees a spark.

The instinct to pull a relative away is powerful, but direct contact can turn one casualty into two. If a person is being shocked, the power supply should be disconnected first where that can be done safely. Bystanders should not enter water or touch the victim with bare hands. Emergency services and the electricity control room should be alerted immediately.

Public and private equipment both need scrutiny after these deaths. Water coolers, decorative lighting, temporary festival connections and roadside kiosks are frequently installed in places exposed to rain. Residual-current protection, sound earthing and waterproof connectors can cut the risk, but only if they are fitted correctly and tested rather than assumed to work.

The heavy rainfall also makes routine inspection more urgent. Electricity teams should isolate a suspicious line until it is checked, while residents should report tingling sensations on taps, gates or appliances as an emergency. Children should be kept away from poles, transformer enclosures and dangling cables, even when the surrounding water appears shallow.

For the families in Lallapura and Kalimahal, safety advice comes after an irreversible loss. The immediate official task is to establish how the current escaped and whether any preventable defect was involved. The wider task is to treat every wet-weather leakage report as a potential fatality, not a minor maintenance complaint.