A four-year-old girl reportedly lost her life after coming into contact with an illegal electricity connection on Monday in Canelands, located north of Durban.
Upon learning of the incident, residents in the informal settlement immediately reached out for assistance from Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), a private security and paramedics service.
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Upon arrival, the Rusa team discovered that the child had already been urgently taken to the hospital by her family.
“We contacted the child’s family, who confirmed that she was pronounced deceased upon arrival at the hospital,” stated Prem Balram, the spokesperson for Rusa.
SurgeZirc SA received report that, the child had lunch at her uncle’s residence, and her uncle was preparing to accompany her back home before the incident occurred.
Tragically, she received an electric shock after holding onto an illegal electricity connection running along the fence.
“Her uncle managed to disconnect the connection and promptly transported the child to the hospital with the assistance of his employer,” said Balram.
The eThekwini municipality’s electricity unit has been actively addressing the issue of illegal connections through their Operation Khuculula.
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The city emphasized that this operation not only aims to reduce the prevalence of illegal connections but also endeavors to save lives.
“Illegal electricity connections can have fatal consequences, and it is crucial to emphasize this. However, considering the number of illegal cables seized thus far, it appears that communities still fail to grasp the danger they are putting themselves in,” the city stated.
