TRANG: The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) is investigating the case of a 14-year-old boy who died after being electrocuted by a water dispenser in a school in Kantang district.
The incident occurred about noon on Friday during the school's sports day. The victim was identified as Grade 8 student Wayu.
According to a report by local media Trang Today, the incident happened when a teacher asked the student to switch off a water dispenser during heavy rain.
However, the school later argued that it did not use the water dispenser anymore.
A witness said the boy was walking with his friend near the water dispenser when he collapsed. They said the friend tried to help but was also electrocuted. The friend then recovered, left the scene and called on teachers for help, they said.
Someone later came and used a cloth to pull the student away by the ankle, they said. He was then rushed to hospital but it was too late, they said. The incident drew criticism from netizens about safety in schools and the slow response to help the boy.
Chainarong Changrua, director of the Secondary Educational Service Area Office for Trang-Krabi, said on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had since inspected the scene. They found that the breaker switch was located behind the water dispenser, he said.
It was burnt so the police believed the accident was caused by a short circuit that led to an electricity leakage to a nearby steel pole, he said.
The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes at the time he was electrocuted, he said. A probe team is expected to conclude its investigation on Monday, he said.
Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, father of the student, said he was heartbroken when he saw his son's body. Wayu was the youngest of two boys, he said.
He said that after the incident, the school director and teachers offered financial help to the family. He said he would not press charges against the school as he understood that it was an accident.
