In Xiamen City, Fujian Province, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted and died while playing with his friends in the residential area where he lived. The relevant department determined that the lamp in that area was leaking electricity. This news made it to the top search on Baidu on October 13th and sparked discussions among netizens.
A parent surnamed Wang, living in the Shimao Hubin Shoufu community on Jinshan Street in Huli District of Xiamen City, posted a letter on the community property service WeChat group on October 8th titled “A Letter to Our Neighborhood”. In the letter, the parent mentioned that on the evening of the 7th, around 8 o’clock, their child was electrocuted by a lamp in the grass by the north gate walkway behind the community where they live.
The parent expressed, “My heart feels empty, and the pain is indescribable. I cannot accept that my child suddenly left me like this.”
The boy’s father, Mr. Wang, told Wenhui Daily on October 12th, “My son was running and playing downstairs with a few other children when someone riding a bicycle passed by. My son wanted to make way, and his heel hit the lamp by the roadside, causing him to be electrocuted and fall down.”
Mr. Wang stated that the lamp’s electricity leakage was mainly due to the negligence of the property management, leading to the tragic incident. He said, “The lamp in question was not equipped with a leakage protection device or grounding wire. It was a matter of time before an accident happened!” He also revealed that the property management is now willing to take full responsibility, and an agreement has been reached between both parties.
Mr. Wang reminded everyone to pay attention to electrical safety and advised children to stay away from lamps, fountains, air conditioning units, electric mosquito swatters, and other dangerous facilities while playing.
This incident spread among the property owners in the community, causing concerns. Some property owners told the newspaper Haixia Metropolis that when they first heard about the child’s electrocution in the community’s public area, they were shocked and felt that such an incident should not have happened in the community’s public spaces. They hoped that the community’s property management would strengthen inspections to ensure the safety of public areas.
Currently, the ends of the running track in Block D of Shimao Hubin Shoufu community have been cordoned off with barriers such as iron horses and caution tapes, with red paper signs that read “No Entry.”
On one side of the running track near the building, there are lamps installed at a height of around 20 centimeters, with one of the lamps slightly tilted. On the other side of the building is a children’s playground where many children play under the supervision of their families.
According to relevant authorities, around 8 p.m. on October 7th, the boy collapsed and lost consciousness while playing with his friends in the residential area. On October 8th at 12:29 p.m., the boy died due to multiple organ failure despite rescue efforts being made.
After forensic examination, it was found that there were suspected electrical marks on the boy’s legs, and his left and right big toes showed patchy electrical marks. The lamp at the scene, about 20 cm high, was found to be leaking electricity. It was preliminarily determined that the boy was electrocuted when he touched the lamp while playing.
After the news was released, many netizens shared their opinions.
“Diligent sheng690” said, “The streetlight should use a 36V safe power supply, there seems to be an issue with the construction party!”
Netizen “书画屋” expressed, “Such lamps should not exist, I suggest they be completely discontinued.”
“Princess Hamburger” commented, “If it leaks electricity when it rains, the consequences would be unimaginable.”