A 21-year-old student of Christ University, Bengaluru, suffered 35% burns after a live electric wire fell on her on Tuesday around 1.45 pm. The incident occurred at Venkateshwara Layout which is around 250 metres from Christ University.
The victim, Priya Garg, is from New Delhi and is pursuing her undergraduate (UG) degree in a triple major programme, in Psychology, Sociology and English. She is staying at a paying guest accommodation at Venkateshwara Layout and she was reportedly walking back to the PG with her friends during the lunch break when the electric wire fell on her. The electric pole also fell on a scooter parked on the roadside, reported The New Indian Express.
The incident occurred when a water tanker that was passing by pulled an optical fibre cable dangling from the electric pole. The tanker driver, unaware that the wire was entangled, continued driving, pulling the pole down. A snapped electric wire came in contact with Garg, injuring her.
The student was rushed to a nearby hospital and later moved to St John's Hospital, Koramangala around 4.30 pm for further treatment.
Dr Arvind Kasthuri, Chief of Medical Services at St John’s, said the student has no other comorbidities and her blood pressure and pulse rate were normal. She was kept under observation in the ICU and will be closely monitored for the next 48 hours as any person with burns has a risk of facing fluid fluctuation which makes them prone to infections too.
Second case in a week
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) Managing Director, Mahantesh Bilagi, told The New Indian Express that the energy department and the state government have taken such acts seriously and they will not be tolerated. This is the second such incident in a week. On August 19, a person was injured in Bellandur. A case has been filed against the OFC agency, the vehicle and the owner of the company.
He said Bescom has started a drive of clearing all OFC cables. On the directions of Energy Minister KJ George and Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, a warning has been issued to all OFC cable operators to remove them within a week or else face legal and criminal action.
