Man spits gutkha from 3rd-floor balcony, dies after coming in contact with 11kV wire
A 65-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh died after coming into contact with a high-tension power line while spitting from his balcony. Local residents have expressed anger, citing long-standing, unaddressed complaints about the dangerous proximity of the electrical infrastructure to homes.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical issues regarding urban safety, infrastructure maintenance, and government accountability in public utility management.
BHOPAL: Spitting gutkha from his third-floor balcony may have cost a 65-year-old man his life after he reportedly came in contact with an 11kV high-tension power line in Ganjbasoda, in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, on Friday afternoon.Prabhulal Gupta was standing on the balcony of his rented house in Gayatri Nagar around 1pm when the incident occurred. According to local residents, the stream of saliva he spat while chewing gutkha came in contact with the overhead wire, leaving him severely burnt.Gupta, a mason originally from Chhatarpur, had been living in the rented house for the past 10 years.Electrical experts said such an incident could occur under certain conditions. Saliva contains moisture and dissolved salts, which can make it conductive.
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