A heartbreaking incident occurred when a 14-year-old boy was electrocuted and died at a school’s drinking water dispenser during the school’s sports day. Witnesses saw the incident but were too afraid to intervene. The district director has established a committee to investigate the matter, with a report expected by the end of the day. The school has provided 500,000 baht to assist with funeral expenses.
The tragedy unfolded at a secondary school in Kantang District, Trang Province, during a sports event attended by parents, students, teachers, school administrators, medical staff, and rescue personnel. A video shows the student in a blue shirt and black pants being electrocuted and dying at the water dispenser. Medical examinations revealed burn marks on the boy’s chest, indicating death by electrocution.
Chainarong Changruea, the Director of Secondary Education for Trang and Krabi Provinces, explained in a phone interview that the incident occurred around noon on Friday, June 21. Heavy rain and the wet condition of the student, who was barefoot near the water dispenser, were contributing factors. The school’s main breaker was near the dispenser, causing electricity to ground through the wet floor. This dangerous situation prevented immediate help until the power was turned off.
There are unconfirmed claims that a teacher instructed the student to turn off a switch or use the dispenser. The school’s director stated that the dispenser, over ten years old, had not been in use, and this information is still under investigation.
A committee was immediately formed to investigate, and the incident has been reported to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and the Ministry of Education. Initially, the school director has provided 20,000 baht to the family, with an additional 100,000 baht from the district education office.
At Wat Kuan Tungku in the same district where the religious ceremonies for the deceased student, Wayu, were held, the atmosphere was filled with sorrow. Community leaders, classmates, and representatives from various agencies came to support the grieving family.
Wayu’s parents, Pornchai Thepsuwan and Supaporn Thongyaem, shared that Wayu was their second child. They were informed of the accident by the school and rushed to the hospital. Shocked and devastated, they only knew that he had been electrocuted. The school offered 500,000 baht for funeral arrangements and the school director, along with teachers, volunteered to host the funeral rites. The cremation ceremony for Wayu is scheduled for Thursday, June 27.
The parents expressed their wish for the school to improve safety measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. (TNA)
