In a tragic mishap on Saturday evening, three mourners who were participating in a procession of Muharramul Haram 7 in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area died of electrocution and as many injured when an Alam that they were carrying collided with electricity wires.
The tragedy occurred in the Bhittaiabad neighbourhood of Gulistan-e-Jauhar within the jurisdiction of the Sacchal police station when hundreds of mourners were busy in holding a procession of Muharram 7 following their traditional route. Unfortunately, the Alam accidentally collided with electricity wires, resulting in the electrocution of six men.
Rescue workers and police were already present along the route of the procession. With the help of the other mourners of the procession, they shifted the victims to the Darul Sehat Hospital for medical treatment where doctors pronounced three of them dead.
The deceased were identified as 13-year-old Ali Khaskheli, son of Mian Buksh, 24-year-old Sonu Shahzaib, son of Sikandar Magsi, and 35-year-old Muhammad Ali.
The injured mourners were later transported from the Darul Sehat Hospital to the burns ward of the Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital. They were identified as Sumair, 14, son of Mir Hassan; Afzal Agha, 22, son of Naik Muhammad; and Mohsin Shah, 19, son of Ahmed Shah.
According to Sacchal SHO Agha Mashooq, the families of the deceased mourners took their bodies away from the Darul Sehat Hospital before they could be taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities.
The officer said the condition of one of the injured was critical while the other two injured were out of danger. He added that no case was registered as the families had so far not approached the police to register an FIR as the deaths were accidentally result.
According to mourners, the procession had started from the Asgharia Imambargah in Bhittaiabad at around 1pm and later reached the Hussaini Imambargah at Zardari Chowk at around 2:30pm. It later marched to the Noor Abbas Imambargah at Alamdar Chowk.
“The tragedy occurred when the procession was on its way back to Asgharia Imambargah from the Noor Abbas Imambargah when the Alam carried by the deceased and injured persons touched electric wires at around 5pm. Resultantly, they received electric shocks, causing severe burn injuries to them,” said a
witness.
A spokesperson for the K-Electric (KE), the sole power distributor in the city, expressed sorrow over the unfortunate accident, and added that KE’s teams reached the area on time after getting information about the tragedy and remained in contact with the procession’s management.
The spokesperson appealed to the mourners to take precautionary measures while carrying out processions and Alams.
Meanwhile, KE also stated that it would be providing maximum support to its consumers on Muharram 9 and 10 to facilitate its consumers and Muharram processions.
The power utility maintained that it has already been providing uninterrupted power to the areas where Majalis and possessions are being held since Muharram 1.
According to a statement issued by the power utility, the KE management has been in close contact with the Commissioner Office along with other offices of the district management offices.
KE advised its customers to adopt precautionary measures and avoid the use of Kundas and hanging lights as they posed threat to the public. The power utility said its field teams were on alert and the power supply situation was being monitored through the Command & Control Centre.
Consumers of the power utility may register their complaints on 118, 021-99000, 8119 through SMS, the company’s digital platform and may connect with the power utility through its live app.
Man electrocuted to death
A 30-year-old man, Amir, died of electrocution in the Sacchal Goth area within the limits of the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station.
Police said he was taken to a private hospital nearby where doctors pronounced him dead.
Dozens of people, including women and children, have so far lost their lives in various cases of electrocution since the year’s first spell of monsoon rain that began on August 29 in Karachi.