JHAPA, Aug 19: Deaths from electric shocks have increased in Jhapa’s rural areas due to unsafe use of electricity. In Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) alone, five people died from electric shocks.
According to District Police Office information officer Khagendra Bahadur Khadka, ten people have died from electric shocks in the district over the past four months. Most of the victims are rural residents with insufficient technical knowledge about electricity.
Import of electric vehicles increased by 600 percent last year
Most deaths occurred while pumping water with motors, electrofishing in rivers or chopping firewood. Many people lack proper knowledge of operating electric motors. Inadequate knowledge and lack of caution have led to premature deaths from electric shocks. Police said that in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25, 15 people died from electric shocks in Jhapa.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Rajbanshi, 22, of Mechinagar Municipality–5 died from electric shock at home. While repairing a broken table fan on Monday evening, he was suddenly electrocuted and taken unconscious to Mechi Amda Hospital, Dhulabari, where he died during treatment, police reported.
