A boy believed to be aged between 10 and 12 was electrocuted while playing with an iron ladder near a shop at Sector 8 in Airoli on Monday.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 9 a.m. when the victim, who is yet to be identified, was trying to move the ladder when it came in contact with the overhead high-tension wire. The boy was charred to death.
Officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) and the fire brigade reached the spot. “The MSEDCL officials switched off the power supply and removed the ladder,” senior police inspector Yogesh Gawade from Rabale police station said.
Mr. Gawade said the ladder was kept there by a spectacles shop who was planning a renovation. “The ladder was outside the shop. CCTV footage from a nearby shop showed that the boy pulled the ladder out and was moving it to and fro with an intention to play with it. We are awaiting a report from the fire department and the MSEDCL. If negligence is found, we will register an FIR,” Mr. Gawade said.
The police believe that the boy could be a hawker who sold small articles near a traffic signal. “He was carrying a bag with some articles in it, which have been burnt beyond recognition. We are inquiring in the slums at Sectors 4 and 19 to find some clue about the boy,” assistant police inspector Dattatrey Shine from Rabale police station said.
