Man electrocuted in Biche

A FATHER of two who spent a year building a house for his wife and two children will never get the opportunity to move into his new home with his family.

Thirty-seven-year-old Rajkumar Seemungal died after a steel pole he was holding came too close to high tension wires, causing 12,000 kilovolts (kv) of electricity to surge through his body. Seemungal, a maintenance worker, employed with Supermix Feed Ltd, at Arima, was flung several feet away, in front of his new home, at Cunapo Southern Main Road, Cushe Village, Biche. Seemungal died on arrival at the Mayaro District Hospital. A close family friend, who did not want to be named, told Newsday that around 6.45 pm, on Saturday, Seemungal and his friend were to dig a hole to place a steel pole to supply electricity to his new home. Apparently, he said, Seemugal had dug the hole too close to 12,000 kv high tension wires. “He was holding the pole only three feet away from the high tension wires  and it (the pole) drew the current from the wires. His hands were burnt and the current pitch him away,” he added.

He said the ambulance never came and they were forced to find a car to rush an unconscious Seemungal some eight miles to the Rio Claro Health Centre. But upon arrival there, they were told that there were no doctors or nurses. They then took him to the Mayaro Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Seemungal, who was married and had two children, ages 12 and 10, had been building the house for the past year. Seemungal’s friend said he had finished building the house and was in the process of putting the final touches to his home. “He just had to put in the windows but he wanted to get electricity first,” he said. Seemungal, he said, had been told by T&TEC to plant the pole and they would connect the electricity to the house. He said according to electrical regulations in a situation like that, the pole was supposed to be planted some seven feet away from the wires. Anything under this could result in electrocution.

Seemungal, his wife, Matie, and their children had been living downstairs his parents’ home. His brothers and sisters occupy the upstairs of the house since his father passed away sometime ago and his mother lives abroad. When contacted by Newsday yesterday his wife declined to be interviewed because, according to her, Seemungal always insisted he did not want “anything in the papers” if he died. Seemungal, who worked at Super Mix Feeds for five years, was the sole breadwinner in his family. His son, Joel, attends Rio Claro College, while his daughter, Stephanie, is a pupil of Navet Presbyterian School. Company officials intend to assist the family financially with the funeral arrangements, which is expected to be finalised following a post mortem at the Forensic Sciences Centre, today. Biche Police are continuing investigations.