HYDERABAD: Five people were killed and 13 others injured when a blast took place in a recently repaired pole-mounted transformer (PMT) of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and it spilled burning oil onto people in Latifabad Unit-8 on Thursday, the second day of Eidul Azha, officials said on Friday.

It is the second such incident in the city in a short span of a month in which Hesco’s PMT spilled burning oil onto people.

The fresh incident took place on Thursday evening near Akbari mosque Latifabad when Hesco staff was attempting to energise the transformer after getting it repaired.

MNA Sabir Kaimkhani, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker elected from the same area, said the Hesco staff were probably energising the transformer without a shutdown.

He said the transformer had been repaired multiple times due to faults and was once again being installed on Thursday evening after another repair.

“The transformer was installed on Tuesday night after repair but on Eid day it again developed a fault. Hesco staff reinstalled it at 4am on Thursday”, said Arshad Qureshi, who lives in the same area.

Parties call for lodging FIR against Hesco management; injured moved to Karachi due to insufficient facilities at LUH

He said area residents notices that the oil was dripping from the transformer and they subsequently informed the Hesco staff, who said there’s nothing to worry about.

Hesco spokesman Sadiq Kubar said that during the installation process a spark was reported in the transformer and then burning oil spilled from it causing burn wounds to those present near the PMT.

The 18 injured including five Hesco employees were taken to the Liaquat University Hospital’s (LUH) city branch from where almost all of them were shifted to Karachi in view of their critical condition.

Burial amid moving scenes

A pall of gloom hung over the locality on Friday, the third day of Eid when bodies of Noman, 28, Tabish, 35, Shujaat, 36, Waqas, 35, and Sajjad, 35, were brought to their area.

Grieving women were cursing Hesco management for the loss of their family members.

The funeral prayers for the five victims were held in Akbari ground. MQM parliamentarians, representatives of Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pak Sarzameen Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and a large number of people attended the funeral prayers.

According to the record of LUHs’ burns ward, 11-year-old Arfeen suffered 100 per cent burn wounds while Hannan, 15, (90pc), Waseem, 40, (78pc), Mudassar, 18 (60pc), Shahrukh, 35, (45pc), Irfan, 30, (45pc), Faisal, 40, (42pc), Saleem, 40, (38pc), Sarim, 40, (28pc), Ismail, 28, (25pc), Sohail, 48, (25pc), Abdul Raheem, 27, (16pc) and Sami, 20, suffered 12pc burns.

Earlier on June 18, three children were killed and four others injured when oil from a PMT started falling on people in the Odeon Cinema area.

Hesco has so far announced no compensation for the victims of the June 18 tragedy.

Compensation for victims announced

Hesco chief executive officer Rehan Hameed has suspended SDO Irfan Ali Sheikh, line superintendent Saleem, two linemen and an official of the Latifabad grid.

A committee headed by general manager-operations Abdul Ahad was formed to hold an inquiry into the incident that caused the tragedy.

The Hesco spokesman said that the board of directors (BoD) of the power utility on the directives of the energy minister approved Rs750,000 for each deceased, Rs500,000 for critically injured and Rs300,000 for injured as compensation.

PPP MPA Abdul Jabbar Khan said the incident was an outcome of incompetence and negligence of the management of Hesco.

PPP leader Ahsan Abro called for registration of an FIR against Hesco officials.

He condemned non-availability of medicines and facilities at the LUH’s burns ward and observed that the situation could have been different had the desired medical treatment been provided to critically injured people there. He said doctors were not available in the burns ward.

JI leader Aqeel Ahmed Khan called for registration of an FIR under anti-terrorism law against the Hesco management.

He demanded that “corrupt officials” of Hesco be taken to task for installing faulty transformer in the area. He said new transformer had been approved as replacement but staff installed an old transformer.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021