An eight-year-old girl died after coming in contact with low-hanging electricity wires in Kumaon Colony of Nayagaon on Saturday. The victim, Mansi, was the daughter of Ravinder, a migrant labourer who lives in Baba Balak Nath Colony.
The incident has sparked anger in the area, but the police say no case has been registered yet. According to the police, they are still investigating what happened, and no formal complaint has been filed as of late Saturday night.
Residents protest as PSPCL officials stay away
The mood in the neighbourhood turned tense in the afternoon when residents realised that no official from PSPCL, the state power utility, had arrived at the spot. Irate residents raised slogans against the power utility, demanding answers for the dangerous condition of the wires.
The absence of PSPCL staff at the scene added to the frustration. People in the area wanted to know why low-hanging wires were left in a state that could put lives at risk, especially children playing nearby.
Three children escape death in the same incident
Three children who were with Mansi at the time had a miraculous escape. When the accident happened, they initially tried to rush to her aid. A neighbour stopped them just in time, using a stick to pull the safety lever near the transformer to cut off the power.
Area residents also rushed to try and save the girl, but by the time they could reach her, it was too late. The quick thinking of the neighbour likely saved the other three children from suffering the same fate.
Eyewitness account points to a tragic sequence
According to eyewitnesses, Mansi had gone to a nearby area when she came into contact with the low-hanging wires. The exact details of how she touched the wires are still being pieced together by the police.
The fact that the wires were hanging low enough for a child to reach them raises serious questions about maintenance and safety checks in the colony. For a migrant labourer's family living in the area, this tragedy has turned their world upside down.
Our Take: A preventable death that demands accountability
To put it plainly, this is a death that should not have happened. Low-hanging electricity wires are a known hazard, and power utilities have a duty to ensure they are safely secured. The fact that no PSPCL official bothered to show up after a child died is deeply troubling.
In our view, the police must register a case quickly and investigate not just how the wires came to be in that condition, but also why the utility failed to respond. The residents of Nayagaon deserve answers, and the family of Mansi deserves justice. A child is gone, and the least the authorities can do is take this seriously and ensure no other family has to go through this pain.
