Commuter sitting at bus stop in Thane electrocuted

THANE: A 40-year-old man was electrocuted while sitting on a steel bench at a bus stop near Khopat junction on Monday. The tragedy is being blamed on sheer negligence on part of the Thane Municipal Transport undertaking and carelessness of its contractors.



Rescue officials said Dost Salmani, a resident of Sonapur chawl in Bhandup, was sitting on the bench of the bus stand barefoot with his legs stretched out when he accidentally came in contact with a live wire .

Police said work on putting up hoardings and digital billboards on top of the bus stop was in process when the mishap occurred.

Although an authorized connection had been taken and a meter box installed on a pole, it had multiple live wires hanging loose around it, said police.

Bus stop shocker angers residents

Senior inspector of Naupada police station C J Jadhav said, “Prima facie, the victim got an electric shock as there were multiple live wires on the pole which he could have come in contact with. We will check who the connection belongs to—the civic administration or the contractors—after which we will register an FIR. At present, only an accidental death report has been filed.”

Members of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, police officials and passersby rushed the victim to the state-run civil hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Locals and activists are furious. Sanjeev Dutta, an activist, said, “Who is to blame for the loss of an innocent life? What if there were more commuters at the bus stop? It is a public place and electric wires are left hanging around. The authorities keep blaming one another but no action is taken against those responsible.”