Boy electrocuted near cassava farm, owner charged

Boy electrocuted near cassava farm, owner charged

A woman sits near the body of her 8-year-old grandson, who is electrocuted to death near electric fences at a cassava plantation in Chalerm Prakiart district, Buri Ram. Local residents are saddened by the sudden loss of the boy. (Photo by Surachai Piragsa)
A woman sits near the body of her 8-year-old grandson, who is electrocuted to death near electric fences at a cassava plantation in Chalerm Prakiart district, Buri Ram. Local residents are saddened by the sudden loss of the boy. (Photo by Surachai Piragsa)

BURI RAM: The owner of a cassava plantation with electric fences has faced charges after an 8-year-old autistic boy was electrocuted to death while playing near the plantation in Chalerm Phrakiat district.

Local police on Thursday charged Thanaphat Khairam, 46, owner of the plantation at Ban Khawa in tambon Isan Khet, with injuring through the release of electrical current causing death of another person.

Pathipan Khanom, 8, was found dead near Mr Thanaphat’s cassava plantation on Wednesday morning when police, a doctor and rescue workers arrived at the plantation. Yuan Chimchart, 64, grandmother of the boy, was crying near the body.

Local residents told police that the boy was playing at the cassava plantation, about 60 metres from his house  before he was electrocuted. The owner of the plantation installed electric fences to keep cattle away from his crop.

Mrs Yuan held a funeral rite for her grandson at her house on Thursday. The grandmother said she and her husband had raised the boy since he was young after his parents had separated. Her daughter worked in Bangkok and sent money to support her son.

She told police that her grandson had autism and needed special care. She often closed the door of the house in the morning until she finished cooking. But on Wednesday morning, she forgot to close the door while cooking. About 15 minutes later, she heard someone shouting her grandson was electrocuted, said the grandmother.

She was not aware that the fences around the plantation was electrified.

Ms Siriporn Luathanom, 61, a local resident, said many residents were unware that the cassava plantation had beeen equipped with 220-volt electric fences until the boy was electrocuted. They initially thought they were ordinary fences set up to prevent cattle from intruding the plantation.

After learning about the fences, she and other residents feared their children might be in danger and would rather not have electric fences in their community, said the woman.


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