KOCHI: One person was electrocuted while two others sustained injuries after the manual piling equipment they were operating, came in contact with an 11 KV underground electric line at Chakkaraparambu , Vytilla on Wednesday morning.The deceased person has been identified as Muthupandi (21) of Ramanathapuram , Tamilnadu. One among his colleagues sustained injuries on his hip while the other sustained injuries on his leg.According to an eyewitness, the incident happened at around 10am on Wednesday. As part of the piling works, primary dredging was held along the road using mechanical piling equipment and the labourers on Wednesday were engaged in deepening the pit using the manual equipment.The manual dredging equipment was operated using an iron lever and Muthupandy was reportedly holding on to this lever when the equipment came in contact with the 11 KV underground powerline.Eyewitnesses said that the labourers were thrown away after they sustained electric shock.“I was in my Salon when I heard the noise. There were not many people here. A doctor who lives nearby rushed to the spot and provided assistance,” said KP Abdul Salam, who runs a salon in the area.The works of expanding the bridge over the culvert began about two weeks ago and the labourers were engaged in the works for about two hours in the morning on Wednesday before the mishap happened.Colonel Dr VJ George, an NRI who was at home on leave rushed to the spot and took the person to a hospital.“In about, two minutes I was able to attend to him. We gave CPR but there was no pulse. I took him in my car and rushed to the nearby hospital. We continued to give CPR even in the car but his life couldn’t be saved,” said George.Sources with the Ernakulam Medical Centre where he was rushed to said that the person was brought dead. “Those who were injured had sustained minor injuries and they left soon after arriving at the hospital,” said a source. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) staff said that the contractor who had taken the work permit for the culvert expansion didn’t inform them regarding the piling work on Wednesday.“He had contacted us when the plan for the expansion began and we had given him a plan of the location where the electric line is passing through. When the preliminary piling had started, we had removed the overhead cables for them to erect the tripod for the works. However, they didn’t inform us before the piling on Wednesday. We could’ve cut the power supply to the underground line and the mishap could’ve been avoided,” said a KSEB official at the spot.

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