Mother and two children die of electrocution in Barishal

Locals say the boy was electrocuted first and his mother and sister died while trying to help him

A mother and her two children have died after they were electrocuted by a torn rural power transmission line in Barishal’s Bakerganj.

The incident occurred in Dhalmara village in the Upazila’s Niamati Union around 11:45am on Saturday, said Bakerganj Police Station OC Afzal Hossain and Mohammad Saifur Rahman, the Upazila executive officer.

The dead were identified as Sonia Begum, 28, her nine-year-old son Salman, and her 12-year-old daughter Rejbina.

Mumtaz Begum, the wife of UP Ward-4 Member Mostafa Kamal Howladar, said the power line running over the garden of a nearby home tore and fell into a ditch next to the road.

“Sonia Begum’s children were playing with some limes. A lime fell into the water and Salman went into the water after it and was electrocuted. Hearing Rejbina’s screams, her mother rushed to save her son and was electrocuted as well. When she touched her mother, she was electrocuted too.”

“We told the power workers that the wire running over the garden looked like it could tear at any moment, but they did not pay any attention,” Mumtaz alleges.

UNO Saifur said, “When we arrived at the scene, we saw that the power line running over the garden had torn and fallen into a puddle in a ditch. There was a lime tree next to it.”

“Locals say the boy was electrocuted first and his mother and sister were electrocuted and died while trying to save him.”

No one is sure how the wire tore, the UNO said. “The Rural Power DGMO is at the scene. They are investigating the incident. If there is any neglect involved in this situation, stern action will certainly be taken.”

Subash Chandra Das, the assistant general manager of the Rural Power Association-1 Bakerganj zonal office, said, “Two separate investigation teams have been formed to look into the incident. They have been instructed to submit a report since the morning. Action will be taken once the reports are received.”

Regarding the allegations from locals, Das said, “I can’t comment without receiving the investigation report.”