Police: Action to be taken against those negligent fatal Ungoofaaru electrocution

Maldives Police Service, on Sunday, states negligence parties in the fatal electrocution incident at. R. Ungoofaaru will be identified and subsequently, action will be taken against them.

The incident was reported at approximately 13:30pm on May 19^th and occurred while some children were playing in a puddle next to a streetlight outside the children’s park on the island.

According to the police, two teenagers – an 18-year-old male and a 12-year-old girl – and an eight-year-old boy were injured in the incident. 

The 18-year-old, identified as Hussain Atheek, a native of Ungoofaaru, sustained the most serious injuries in the incident. He passed away on Saturday morning after days on ventilator support at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ City, where he was transferred for further treatment.

Police Spokesperson Ahmed Shifan told Sun that the authority’s investigation into the case is still ongoing, adding action will be taken against parties found negligent in the incident.

The provider of electricity in Ungoofaaru, Fenaka Corporation’s Managing Director Mohamed Rasheed said the incident was likely a result of the failure to install the Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) that needs to be installed on the streetlight. He also noted that a cable had been next to the streetlight at the time of the incident, in a manner it could conduct electricity to the streetlight.

According to Rasheed, it is the responsibility of the local council to switch on and off the streetlights and harbor lights. However, it is the responsibility of Fenaka to ensure the lights and electrical wiring fit the required standards.

Henceforth, Fenaka has commenced an inception to avoid a repetition of such an incident.

The other two children injured in the accident were released home after treatment at Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital.