Nepra told to submit report on Karachi electrocution deaths

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to furnish a report about deaths in rains due to electrocution in Karachi.

A two-judge bench of the SHC was hearing a petition filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) seeking action against K-Electric over poor maintenance of its installations, which allegedly caused deaths during rains.

Also Read: Power supply company slapped Rs28m fine for 11 deaths from electrocution

A counsel for the petitioner stated before the court that the city’s sole power distributor was responsible for deaths due to electrocution during rains.

The bench expressed displeasure over the power regulator’s failure to furnish its comments on the petition and gave it one month’s time to submit a report about electrocution deaths.

Also Read: 33 die from electrocution, drowning in Karachi during record rainfall

In March this year, a session court had directed K-Electric to pay a Rs15 million fine to the legal heirs of a 12-year-old boy who was electrocuted to death in the port city in 2013.

The court ruled that the negligence of the sole power supplier in the city has been proved in the case as beside supplying power it was also responsible to repair its installments.