As many as 34 employees as well as ordinary people were killed in the areas falling in the jurisdiction of the Karachi Electric (K-Electric) during the financial year (FY), 2023-24 in different incidents of electrocution, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.
According to the report released by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on the number of people dying in the areas covered by different power distribution companies (DISCOs) during the aforementioned period, a total of 140 life-taking incidents took place in these areas. “Out of a total of 34 people killed in the areas covered by the K-Electric, 32 were ordinary citizens while two were DISCO’s own employees,” the report informs.
Similarly, 26 people were killed in the areas covered by the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), 20 in those of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), 18 in those of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and seven in the areas covered by the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) during the last FY.
Likewise, the report goes on to say, nine people lost their lives in the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) regions each, while the death toll in the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) region stands at seven; in the Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) at five and in the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) at three.
NEPRA notes that the DISCOs failed to meet the safety standards during the period under review, which is indeed worrying.
It urges these companies to strictly adhere to these standards so that incidents like these do not recur in the future.
Reporter: Awais Kiani