Grief strikes Kollam family as Class VIII student electrocuted at school

On Thursday morning, Midhun, a Class VIII student of Thevalakkara Boys High School, left his home at Valiyapadam East Ward of West Kallada grama panchayat as usual and headed for school around 8.30 a.m.

After arriving on the campus, he joined some of his classmates in a game when his footwear accidentally landed on the roof of a bicycle shed within the school compound. In an attempt to retrieve it, Midhun climbed onto the shed’s roof. Tragically, he slipped and came into contact with a low-hanging live electric line running above it.

“We are still trying to understand the exact circumstances,” said T. Sivarajan, ward member of Valiyapadam East. “What we know is that his father had dropped him off at school in the morning. He reportedly slipped while on the roof of the shed and touched the electric line, which was hanging dangerously low.”

Midhun’s mother, who works as a home nurse, had gone to Kuwait three months ago. “We have not yet been able to contact her to inform the news of her son’s death. According to our information, she is currently in Turkey. Efforts are under way to reach her,” Mr. Sivarajan added.

Terrifying scene

The students who witnessed the incident were left traumatised. “When I saw him, he was lying on the electric wire. Foam and froth were coming from his mouth. It was a terrifying scene. Everyone tried to save him,” said a student of the school.

The school is located in Mynagappally grama panchayat. P.M. Said, president of the panchayat, placed the blame squarely on the school management and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). “The school is managed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). First of all, there should not have been an electric line running through the school compound. The key question is, why did the school authorities fail to take steps to relocate the line despite the risk?” Mr. Said asked.