Five Sittwe locals die from electrocution since early May

By DMG 18 May 2022

DMG Newsroom
18 May 2022, Sittwe 

With the rainy season arriving in Myanmar, five people have died from electrocution in the Arakan State’s capital Sittwe since early May, according to local social organisations. 

A 17-year-old man working at a workshop in Sittwe’s Ohn Tabin ward died from electrocution on Wednesday. He was killed as he was carrying electrical wires, according to Ko Thar Che, vice chairman of the Metta Yaung Chi Foundation. 

“It was raining when he carried electrical wires. He then fell down, according to his friend,” said Ko Thar Chay. 

The chairman of the Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation, Ko Min Htel Warr, urged people who do electrical work to exercise caution while doing their jobs especially during the rainy season. 

“They should not neglect. They should exercise caution. Those who install power cables must also affix them properly [to prevent the cables from falling down],” he said. 

In another case, a man was electrocuted while repairing a motorboat beneath Setyoekya Bridge on Tuesday. And on May 4, an internally displaced person (IDP) staying at a Buddhist monastery in Sett Yone Su ward died from electrocution while repairing his house. 

A resident of Myothugyi ward was also electrocuted while repairing the roof of his house on May 13. The following day, an individual who was building a temporary shelter in Arkyeiktawgone Cemetery died from electrocution, according to local social organisations.