KARACHI: Death toll has reached to Twenty Four as six more people were killed in rain related incidents in parts of a metropolis on the second consecutive day of rains in Karachi since Monday night.
At least six people were electrocuted to death and an under aged boy was drowned to death, according to Edhi and Chhipa Foundations.
Two men riding on a motorcycle were electrocuted to death after they received electric shocks in Korangi No. 4. Rescue and police officials said that the motorcyclists were going somewhere on their motorcycle when they received electric shocks due to the broken electricity wires on the road near Abu Zar Bakery.
Their bodies were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and later shifted to Edhi morgue for identification purpose.
Similarly, a 22-year-old man who later identified as Babar was killed near to his home in Orangi Town after he receive an electric shock due to broken electricity wire in the area due to rain late on Tuesday night.
In another similar incident, Javed Waheed, 45, was electrocuated to death in Sector 5-D in New Karachi while working inside his house. His body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from where his family took it away with them without medio legal formalities.
23-year-old Waheed died of electrocution inside his house located near Hazara Chowk at Gulshan-e-Ghazi in Baldia Town. His body was moved to Civil Hospital Karachi.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy Hasnain Ibrahim was drowned to death while playing in an underground water tank in his house at New Kumharwara in Lyari neighborhood.
When contacted Barrister Faisal Siddiqui regarding the deaths of innocent citizens he said that criminal cases can be registered against K-Electric if the deaths were caused by electrocution due to negligence of the power utility. Besides criminal cases, the victims can move to courts for monetary compensations and can files damages suits under Fatal Accident.
He opined that as K-Electric is a regulated body, so National Electric Power Regulatory Authority can be approached against the power utility over the deaths. However, he clarified that Nepra can not award any compensation to the victim heirs. The authority can take action against the utility and even impose fines over it for failure to comply with safety regulations.
Farrukh Usman Advocate, a lawyer specializing in damages cases, said that the courts can be moved against the power utility for its negligence that caused death or other damages to public life and properties.
He added that under Fatal Accident Act, courts have awarded monetary compensations to victims heirs in the past over deaths caused by electrocution due to fallen live wires of the power utility.
He opined that people needed to be aware of their rights provided in different laws and constitution.
He underlined the need to take action against all such negligent bodies that put the lives of people at risk under the legal avenues available in the prevalent system.
Shamim Ahmed Firpo, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has said on the matter that there are countries where rains are routine matter but strangely in Karachi whenever rains fall the people are left without electricity, even for days.
The utility must implement the promises it made at the time of signing investment agreement.
Published in Daily Times, August 24th 2017.