‘Negligence’ of REB officials leads to electrocution
A woman died apparently from electrocution in Chattogram yesterday with the Rural Electrification Board (REB) officials disregarding villagers’ complaint to fix an electricity line.
The incident happened as soon as the victim -- Lubna Das, 30, a mother two teenagers -- descended to a beel near her house at Daser Para in Boalkhali upazila.
Her husband Kanu Das told The Daily Star that an 11,000 volt power line at the back of their homestead snapped amid squally wind on Thursday night. The wire has remained fallen into the marshy land, he added.
On information from the villagers, REB officials rushed to the spot, said the residents. The team, however, demanded Tk 2,000 to repair the line.
Kanu Das, a day labourer by profession, said, “As we were unable to give the money, they left the spot.” At that time, they did not even bother to stop the power supply despite request, he alleged.
The snapped power line killed a goose, fishes of the beel, he said, adding that his wife rushed to the wetland when she found one of their goats dead there.
On his wife’s death, he said, “It is killing, not an accident.”
Rubel Das, a neighbour the victim’s family, alleged that local REB officials always demand money for anything relating to electricity line.
Contacted, Nizam Uddin, deputy general manager of REB in Boalkhali, said they were not informed that the power line was torn down.
When asked why then a team of his office went to the spot and demanded money to repair the line, he said they launched a probe into the incident.
“If the allegation comes true, we will take actions against the involved officials,” he said.
Neyamat Ullah, officer-in-charge of Boalkhali Police Station, said on information they recovered the body and sent it to Chattogram Medical College morgue for autopsy.
When asked about electrocution, he said it will be confirmed after post-mortem.
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