Mpumalanga police have called on residents to avoid illegal electricity connections after four people died due to electrocution in the Tonga area.
On Monday, a 36-year-old woman from Gritana was working a field at home at about 12:30 when she sustained burns, presumably from a live electric cable, said police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
Her family rushed her to hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival.
Also on Monday, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted by illegally connected electric cables in Kamhlushwa while he was on his way to a neighbor’s house.
On Thursday, a 16-year-old girl died after being electrocuted. She was walking on a wet street with her boyfriend when she appeared to have stepped on an electric cable, said Mohlala.
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“Police were summoned to the scene and found the victim lying [in a] pool of water, and there were loose electric cables lying around her. She was declared dead by medical personnel on the scene,” said Mohlala.
In another incident on Thursday, a man arrived home to be told by his sister that there was an electrical fault. The sister reportedly heard her brother scream. Later, when the family went looking for him, they found him unresponsive on the floor, “shaking”, said Mohlala.
“He was quickly rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead,” said Mohlala.
