A man and his three-year-old son were electrocuted to death in the Dharamkhal area of Silcoorie, Cachar allegedly due to the gross negligence of the electricity department.
The deceased have been identified as Pawan Kumar Mala (38) and his young son Vicky Mala. According to local residents, the electricity connection to their house had been officially disconnected nearly two years ago. But the disconnection was incomplete, leaving live wires dangerously exposed near their home.
Despite repeated complaints by the family and neighbours to the power department, no action was reportedly taken to fix the faulty and hazardous setup. On Thursday morning, tragedy struck when a live wire allegedly snapped from a nearby electric pole during or after heavy rainfall and came into contact with a flowering tree in front of the family’s home—electrifying it.
Pawan’s elder brother recounted the horrifying sequence of events:
“It had rained heavily. My sister-in-law went to pluck flowers in the morning when she got electrocuted by the tree. My brother pulled her away to save her. Then their daughter also got shocked, and he saved her too. But while still in contact with the current, his little son ran toward him and touched him. That’s when both got stuck and died.”
The incident has sparked outrage in the local community. Residents, including Vijay Kumar Mala, expressed their anger and frustration over the electricity department’s alleged inaction.
“We complained several times. They only gave false assurances. This tragedy could have been avoided,” he said.
The bodies of the victims were sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. Meanwhile, local residents are demanding a full investigation and strict accountability from the electricity department.
“How many more innocent lives will it take before someone takes responsibility?” asked a grieving neighbour.
This tragic loss has reignited discussions on the urgent need for infrastructure safety and accountability from government departments, especially in rural and semi-urban areas of Assam.
