A 50-year-old woman was electrocuted to death on Monday, October 7, in Tavarekere after an electric wire snapped and fell while she was talking with her neighbours. This is the second such death in the last one year. Five officials were suspended by Bangalore Electricity and Supply Company Limited (Bescom) after a 23-year-old mother and her nine-month-old child on the pavement near Hope Farm signal in Whitefield after coming in contact with a live wire in November, 2023.

The deceased was identified as Manjamma, a resident of Chikkanahalli in Ramanagara. The cause of death has not been ascertained but reports suggest that she died of ground shock, which happened after the conductor fell down. Bescom technical director HJ Ramesh visited the site and said that the substation staff had run a test charge due to a fault in the line. 

“As the wire was charged, it snapped and fell. We will know if the conductor fell on her or on the ground after the postmortem and inspection report. According to me, she died of ground shock as the conductor fell on the ground,” he was quoted as saying in The Hindu.

Meanwhile, assistant executive engineer of Tavarekere sub-division said heavy rain had damaged the insulator of the conductor and that an internal inspection is being carried out. A case has been registered against Bescom officials after her husband filed a complaint with Tavarekere police.