The deaths of Soundarya and her baby after stepping on a live wire on Sunday sent citizens into a frenzy with many worried about the safety of electricity infrastructure in the city. This was, however, not an isolated incident.
From 2018 until this October, a total of 70 (non-departmental) deaths have occurred owing to the snapping of conductors, data provided by the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) revealed. Apart from this, 11 non-fatal injuries (also non-departmental) have occurred in the last five years owing to the same cause.
Experts expressed concerns about the safety and maintenance of infrastructure by Bescom while also demanding accountability.