A 65-year-old man reportedly suffered fatal electrical burns after spitting gutka from the balcony of his third-floor rented home and allegedly coming in contact with an overhead high-tension wire in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district on Friday afternoon.
The incident took place around 1 pm in Gayatri Nagar, located in the Ganjbasoda region, where Prabhulal Gupta was standing on the balcony when the accident occurred. According to local residents, the fluid he spat while chewing gutka came into contact with an 11kV power line, resulting in severe burns.
Gupta, a mason originally from Chhatarpur, had been living in the rented accommodation for nearly a decade.
How Can Saliva Cause An Electrical Accident?
Under certain circumstances, a stream of saliva could potentially create a conductive path between a person and a live electrical conductor. Saliva contains moisture and dissolved salts, which allow it to conduct electricity to some extent.
An 11kV high-tension line also carries enough voltage to pose a serious risk of electrical arcing, depending on the distance between the conductor and nearby objects. If an electrical discharge reaches a person, it can cause severe burns, cardiac arrest or death.
Residents Allege Repeated Complaints Over High-Tension Wires
The incident has sparked anger among residents, who have accused the local electricity authorities of failing to address concerns about overhead high-tension wires running dangerously close to residential buildings.
A family member of Gupta alleged that electricity poles, overhead wires and distribution transformers in the locality were in poor condition. Residents had reportedly raised concerns multiple times about the 11kV line passing close to their homes, but no effective action was taken.
According to The Times Of India, Padma Chidhar, the owner of the house where Gupta lived, also claimed that she had approached electricity officials several times to request the removal or relocation of the overhead line.
According to Chidhar, officials had assured her that the line would be shifted, but the work was allegedly never carried out.
Dial 112 Team Reaches The Spot
Following information about the incident, a Dial 112 emergency response team reached the location.
The incident has renewed concerns over electrical safety in residential neighbourhoods, particularly where high-voltage power lines run close to balconies and buildings. Residents have alleged that timely intervention could have helped address the risks posed by the overhead line.
