Boy, 5, electrocuted on school swing in Northeast Thailand
Family claims school ignored warnings about dangerous equipment
A five year old boy in Northeast Thailand died after being electrocuted while playing on a school swing, prompting questions over campus safety.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 4, at a school in Non Suwan district, Buriram province, while the child was playing in the school’s outdoor playground during school hours.
Relatives have identified the victim as Atsawin, a kindergarten 2 student who had only been attending the school for two days. His body was brought back to his village in Thung Chang Han subdistrict for religious rites.
According to his grandfather, 60 year old Khampan, who had been caring for the child while his parents worked in another province, the boy was playing as usual when the tragedy struck.
“He wasn’t being naughty or misbehaving. He was doing what the school asked, just playing with toys.”
The boy’s aunt, 44 year old Thansanee said the family was devastated.
“When I arrived, I found him lying motionless on the swing. The other children had already gone inside, and the teacher only checked later.”
The school attempted to revive him with CPR before rushing him to Non Suwan Hospital, but it was too late. Doctors confirmed he had no pulse and had died from electrocution.
The playground is located next to an old, uncovered streetlight pole, where two exposed breakers sit in a rusted metal box. Locals say the pole has posed a danger for years.
Relatives allege that previous electrocutions had occurred during events such as sports competitions, but the school failed to fix the problem.
“I reported it before, but nothing was done. Now my own grandchild has died because of it.”
She also claimed that after the incident, school staff asked the family not to speak publicly, fearing damage to the school’s reputation, reported KhaoSod.
The family refused and filed a complaint with the Pavena Foundation.
School director Prasit said the school had helped by arranging accident insurance and claimed no prior reports had been made.
“No one has ever reported it.”
The incident has sparked public outrage and renewed concerns about unsafe infrastructure at rural schools, as police begin an investigation into the exact cause of the electrical leakage.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
