Electric wires claim third child victim

by Happy Lazaro

Hussein Hamis, aged four and a half years old, has become the third child victim to be electrocuted by exposed electric wires in the municipality this year.

Hussein, also known as Dotto, died last Monday evening at about 4:30 p.m when he accidentally grabbed a live wires crossing through the branches of a tree.

The incident occurred at Olmurokea village of Sokon One ward in Arusha municipality . The boy, reports say, was in the process of climbing the tree, located at his home yard in order to pick fruits.

A single touch at an electric wires, reported to be passing through the branches killed the child instantly. The boy’s body fell down and was discovered an hour later by his own parents.

Confirming the incident, Regional Police Commander (RPC), James Kombe said it was later found out that the bare electric wire was illegally installed in the locality.

Commander Kombe, added that Police were still investigating the matter.

The regional manager for the Tanzania Electricity Supply Company, (TANESCO), Christopher Masasi, however refuted the report that the wires were passing through the tree branches.

He said that, the house owners had illegally connected to the main power line but concealed the main wire in the ground only to have it emerge at the tree which was used to support it into the house, but at some point the insulation was peeled off and this is where the boy had touched.

In May this year another child, Obeid Joseph (9), a Class Two pupil of Sekei primary school, was electrocuted when he stepped on fallen electric cables in their farm.

The wires were lying on the ground after the supporting posts had fallen sprawling its wires around.

A month earlier, another child, Tito Phillipo (12), a Class Two girl pupil of Burka primary school in Majengo area also died of electrocution. Tito was killed after stepping in a pool of water which concealed some live naked TANESCO wires.

Last modified: October 16, 2003.
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