A twelve year old girl died after being electrocuted at Indagano village near Sokomoko trading centre in Marakusi sub location Lugari Sub County.
According to the deceased’s grandfather mzee Henry Mwinamo Iningu, his granddaughter Diana Auma had gone to fetch water from their neighbour’s compound on Sunday midmorning when she met her untimely death.
He said the girl was electrocuted when she touched an earth wire on a power pole in the neighbour’s compound without knowing there power connection was faulty.
“She left with her cousins to fetch water from our neighbour’s compound, a few minutes later her cousins came back crying and told me Diana had fell down and she is was not talking, I rushed to the scene and found her on the ground still holding to the wire,” said mzee Iningu .
He said he managed to rescue and rushed her to Lumakanda county hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Mzee Iningu said his granddaughter’s life could have been saved had there been someone around to rescue her immediately.
“It’s unfortunate that there was nobody around the compound when the incident occurred since her young cousins couldn’t help, it forced them to run back and call me only to find her still holding the wire,” explained the grandfather.
Residents have pointed an accusing finger to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) demanding that the company be compelled to compensate for the damages caused.
They said the power line has been faulty since Friday last week with the live wire hanging precariously and despite being informed, the KPLC office took no action was taken.
“KPLC should be held responsible for the death of this young girl, we informed them of the beckoning danger, they promised to come but we haven’t seen anybody from the company since Friday,” said one of the residents.
Mrs. Rose Kageha said she was almost electrocuted with her entire family after the fault affected her house, specifically her door and windows.
“I spent the whole of Saturday outside since the doors to my house had been electrified due to the fault, I couldn’t open it, I told my son to try to switch off the power from the meter box but he was almost electrocuted,” said Ms. Kageha.
She said she contacted police who gave her an official number but when she called there was no response, she later contacted an official from Lumakanda branch KPLC office but still no action was taken.
“It is our appeal to the KPLC when they are called for an emergency they should respond immediately to avoid such incidents, they must compensate for the lost life” said an angry resident.