Tourist electrocuted in Jeju by sudden severed power line

[Anchor]

A tourist in his 40s walking in Jeju was electrocuted after being struck by a suddenly severed power line.

As the Korea Electric Power Corporation investigates the exact circumstances of the accident, there are urgent calls to check whether the management of the power lines has been inadequate.

Im Yeon-hee reports.

[Report]

A man crossing the crosswalk suddenly stumbles and collapses to the ground.

Nearby citizens try to help, but he clutches his legs and cannot get up.

He was electrocuted after being struck on the head by a severed power line from a utility pole.

[Witness: "I was crossing the crosswalk when the power line suddenly snapped and hit his head. They said he fainted."]

The report of the electrocution of the male tourist in his 40s was received yesterday (10.7) at around 5:40 PM.

The 119 rescue team that arrived shortly after transported the man to the hospital.

[Boo Hyun-soo/Paramedic: "Upon assessing the situation, we confirmed that a 220-volt power line had fallen to the ground. He had second-degree burns on two toes of his left foot."]

Fortunately, the severed power line was a low-voltage 220V line, and it is reported that the man has been discharged after treatment.

The Korea Electric Power Corporation suspects that the cause of the accident was a security equipment installed by the local government adjacent to the utility pole.

They believe the power line swung with the wind and came into contact with a steel wire that secures the security equipment.

[Ko Haeng-woo/Deputy Manager, Distribution Operations Team, Korea Electric Power Corporation Seogwipo Branch: "There is a securing steel wire for the security CCTV. It is presumed that the wire made contact (to the power line) due to a sudden gust of wind, causing it to snap."]

The police are reviewing whether to apply charges of professional negligence against those responsible.

This is KBS News Im Yeon-hee.