103 people died of electrocution in 2019: PUCSL

Colombo (News 1st): Electrocutions are on the rise in Sri Lanka. 103 people died due to electrocutions in 2019, up from 89 in 2018. This was confirmed by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) in a report on electrocutions. It pointed out that the southern province of Sri Lanka reported the highest fatalities (30) due to electrocution in 2019 while western province reported the lowest. Further, the southern province reported 97 fatalities due to electrocution in the period of 2015-19 which stood as the highest figure in the country. The report noted that drawing power lines to illegally protect cultivations or to kill wild animals has been identified as the reason for the majority of fatalities due to electrocution in the country. Small scale electric repair work at home/ workplace and activities near power lines have also contributed to electrocutions in 2019. The PUCSL shows that males are more exposed to electrocutions as 86% of fatalities were males. People between the ages of 40 to 50 has been identified as the most vulnerable age group exposed to electrocution in 2019. According to the international benchmark, the possibility of an electrocution occurring, is only one (01) electrocution for one million people, per year. In 2019, the Sri Lankan electrocution index stood at five times higher than the global benchmark. The PUCSL has introduced a number of safety regulations to uplift the electricity safety of the country and is in the process of building a national network of safety ambassadors representing all the villages in Sri Lanka to strengthen people with knowledge of safe use of electricity.