Snapped wire: Horse electrocuted, owner has narrow escape

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 8

A horse died of electrocution after it came in contact with a live electricity wire that fell down on a road at Industrial Area B near Manju Cinema here on Saturday. The horse leash (rope) was in the hands of the horse owner, who had a narrow escape in the incident.

Unaware of the snapped live wire, Surjit Singh had brought his horse to drink water from water tank that was specially constructed for animals for drinking water outside a factory. Suddenly, the horse came in contact with the live electricity wire and fell down due to strong shock. The owner, who had the leash in his hands, made efforts to pull and save the suffering horse but it could not survive.

The horse owner said he also got a shock and he then left the leash. Many commuters were also passing from near the snapped wire.

Residents said if Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had acted timely to remove the snapped wire, the incident could have been averted. Attempts were made to contact PSPCL officials before the incident but nobody responded, they said.

A factory owner, Balwinder Singh Lyalpuri, said, “When the high-velocity winds were blowing, the live wire snapped around 10 am near our factory. We then made several attempts to contact the PSPCL and its officials but nobody attended phone. Even a person was sent to the PSPCL office but an employee present there asked him to get a complaint registered first, then somebody will come to remove the snapped wire.”

“Meanwhile, a man brought his horse to drink water there. The horse came in contact with the wire around 11:30 am, while the horse owner survived. The snapped wire was posing threat to many commuters and our factory workers too. If the PSPCL had acted timely to remove the wire, the incident could have been averted,” he added.

The rainfall later started in the afternoon but nobody came to lift the carcass of the horse that kept floating for hours on the road flooded with rainwater. The ward councillor was later asked to get the carcass lifted from the road.

ASI Gurjeet Singh said they are investigating the matter. Chief Engineer of PSPCL, Ludhiana, Jasvir Singh said he will enquire into the matter.