UP Boy, 8, Electrocuted. He Went Near Transformer To Fetch Cricket Ball

A seven-year-old boy was electrocuted in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow when he came in contact with a transformer in his neighbourhood, the damaged gate to which had not been repaired despite repeated complaints by residents of the area.

Fahad was playing cricket with his friends this morning when the ball went near the transformer. When he went to get the ball, he came in touch with the transformer and was electrocuted.

Neighbours responded swiftly and rushed Fahad to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead.

Residents of the area are furious after the incident and flagged that repeated complaints about the damaged gate leading to the transformer yielded no action. They also alleged a delay in switching off the power supply when they called the electricity department officials after the child came in contact with the transformer.

Fahad's uncle, Mohammed Rayees, said, "We have complained multiple times. No one did anything."

Another resident said the incident occurred around 10 am. "No electricity department official has come here so far. The power supply was cut off only after we managed to pull out the child. This gate has been damaged for two years now. No action was taken. Around 14 animals have been electrocuted here earlier," he said.

A response from the electricity department is awaited. Local police said they have not received a complaint.   

The incident comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma has said that electricity department officials are not attending to distress calls from the public and insisting that they call the helpline, 1912, for resolution of any issue. 

"I told them that people are facing problems. Officials have stopped receiving calls. And this is happening despite multiple instructions," he said. He also warned that if officials do not understand their responsibility towards people, the consequences would be "dangerous".

Samajwadi Party chief and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav has taken a swipe at the state government as it struggles to get officials to work.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the electricity department's transformer has blown off. And the wires between the minister and officials have snapped. The poles of public trust have uprooted and the public outrage meter is showing a spike," Mr Yadav said in a post on X. Alleging corruption in power distribution, he said, "There is no power, only power bills in Uttar Pradesh. Light will come when the BJP goes. Uttar Pradesh citizens are saying they don't want BJP," he added.

Inputs by Vivek Shahi