Migrant electrocuted, four suffer burn injuries at airport

Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 4

A 24-year-old migrant was electrocuted while four others sustained burn injuries at the Chandigarh International Airport at Mohali here this morning.

The incident occurred around 10 am when Shankar Sahu from Chhattisgarh, along with his colleagues Harishanker (19), Manoj (25), Ved Parkash (25) and Sobhran (21), was dragging a 25-foot-high aluminium ladder from the cargo area to the airport terminal when it came in contact with a 22-foot-high overhead 11kV high-tension wire. All victims, hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, were hired on daily wages by a contractor for some ongoing work at the airport.

According to eyewitnesses, all of them fell unconscious after receiving the electric shock. They were rushed to Fortis Hospital at Mohali in an ambulance of the hospital, which is usually stationed outside the airport for emergency purposes.

Shankar Sahu was declared brought dead at the hospital. “We started the treatment of the other victims immediately and now their condition is stable,” said one of the doctors. Later, the victims were shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, Chandigarh.

Harishankar is the brother of the deceased, Sahu.

Ved Parkash said all of them were busy chatting while dragging the ladder from the cargo area to the airport terminal area for setting up a canopy at the entrance to the airport.

“The ladder was foldable and we had removed its upper parts before dragging it. Nobody noticed the overhead electricity wire. All of sudden, I got a shock and found myself lying on the hospital bed,” said Ved Parkash. The victims sustained burn injuries on their hands and arms. Fazal Ahmad, supervisor of the contractor, along with their advocate, Jatin Arora, reached the hospital. “We will bear all expenses on the treatment of the victims and will also provide them all kind of help,” said Arora.

Inspector HS Ball, SHO, said kin of Sahu and the other victims had been informed about the incident.

“Let them come and record their statements; after that we will initiate our legal process,” said the Inspector.

Workers’ presence of mind cames in handy

Timely help and presence of mind shown by some workers at the airport played a crucial role in saving the lives of the other victims. The workers, including Mukesh, Pawan Kumar, Rajvir and Chandan Singh Rajput,  said they used chairs and bamboo sticks to separate the victims from the ladder. “All of them had fallen unconscious. We rubbed their hands and feet and pumped their chest before the ambulance reached around 20 minutes after the incident,” claimed the workers. “Had the ambulance come earlier, the deceased could have been saved,” they said. However, the hospital authorities said, “A doctor from Fortis Hospital, stationed at the airport for medical assistance, received a call from the CISF control room at 10.27 am and immediately responded. In order to save time, he took the Fortis ambulance along with him and arrived at the scene in less than five minutes. The patients were admitted in the Emergency at Fortis Hospital at 10.40 am”.