Bengaluru : A 15-year-old girl, who was battling for her life after coming in contact with a low-hanging high tension wire on September 14, succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday. The teenager, Sheikh Arifa, was a resident of Raja building in Triveni Nagar at K.R. Puram. She was electrocuted while attempting to rescue her nine-year-old neighbour Mohammed Mohsin who had accidentally touched the wire while they were playing on the terrace. Doctors are trying to save the boy.

The children are students of Holy Angels School in Devasandra. Arifa was in Class X and Mohsin in Class 4.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when they were playing on the terrace. “Initially, Mohsin came in contact with the high tension wire in a corner of the terrace and sustained an electric shock. When he fell down, Arifa went to help him and came in contact with the wire,” said the police.

Arifa’s mother, Ghousunninsa Begum, took both children to K.R. Puram government hospital with the help of neighbours.

“They were later shifted to Victoria Hospital where Arifa succumbed to multiple burn injuries on Wednesday morning,” said a senior police officer, adding that Mohsin’s condition is critical.

Arifa’s father Shaikh Jainullabudden, in his complaint, said he had informed Bescom officials and the building-owner about the high tension wire hanging dangerously close to the building after a spate of heavy rains, but they ignored him.

The K.R. Puram police registered a case of death caused by negligence and booked Bescom officials was well as the building-owner, Raja.

Senior Bescom officials said the 66 kV line came under the jurisdiction of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL).

Two months ago, notices were issued to the building-owner by both KPTCL and Bescom stating that the building was deemed unsafe due to proximity to the high tension line.

“However, the building-owner failed to vacate the premises or take any remedial action that could have prevented the accident,” said a Bescom official.

Low-hanging high tension wires continue to claim lives and are a danger to residents, especially children. Following a spate of electrocution accidents in the city earlier this year, KPTCL, Bescom and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had undertaken a joint survey of buildings and constructions near high tension lines. As many as 12,000 notices had been issued across the city.

Areas where the maximum number of notices were served for not maintaining safety clearances were Rajajinagar, Basaveshwaranagara, Vijayanagara, Nayandanahalli, Nagarabhavi, Chandra Layout, Magadi Road, Mathikere, Sahakaranagara, Kavalbyrasandra, Virupakshapura, Bhuvaneswarinagara, Amruthanagara, L.R. Bande, Rajagopalanagara, Ashokanagara, and Peenya Industrial Estate.

When asked about follow-up action, the official said the onus is on the BBMP to ensure that residents vacate buildings that are deemed unsafe. “Power disconnection is not the solution. Even if supply is disconnected, residents may resort to other means to access electricity,” the official said.

Bescom has maintained that a permanent solution to the issue is underground cabling, work on which has begun.