Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Amid the ongoing protests over the deaths of three USPC aspirants, a student was electrocuted at a coaching centre in Delhi, which was waterlogged following fresh rains in the national capital.
The victim, identified as Vani Awasthi, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bareilly. The incident occurred on Thursday.
Dr Sudeep Saran told media that Vani suffered the electric shock while allegedly using a biometric machine to register her attendance.
“Vani was studying at a coaching centre in Delhi, where the incident took place amid flooding (following fresh rains in the National Capital). One day before that, when she reached there for her coaching classes and entered through the gate, there was waterlogging where a biometric machine was installed. She pressed her thumb for attendance and as soon as she touched the gate, she was electrocuted as there was a current in the gate,” Dr. Saran told media.
“She fell unconscious, rushed to Safdarjung Hospital and was admitted. She gained consciousness after a long time. She was then brought here in an ambulance. She is admitted to the ICU here. Initially, her condition was very critical…She had developed a phobia…As a result, her left leg and hand had stopped functioning,” he said.
Dr. Saran said her condition is improving following some counselling and medication.
“With the help of some counselling and medicines, there have been improvements in her condition. She can now speak properly but she gets alarmed even now…It will take some time for her to be normal…We will have to see if this incident has impacted her intelligence level in any way,” he said.
Shweta, an eyewitness, told media at Karol Bagh in New Delhi that the biometric machine was installed on an iron gate.
“…It rained here 1-2 weeks ago. A biometric machine was installed on an iron gate. She suffered electrocution after touching the gate…She was rushed to RML Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU for 1-2 days. When she got a little normal, she was sent to her hometown, Bareilly for further treatment,” Shweta told media.
Following the incident, the owner removed the biometric machine, She said, ” He shut down the library after two days. This is being shifted now. The library was running out of the basement…”
She said, ” I spoke to Vani. She is fine.”