On the evening of September 10th, Xiamen Jimei District encountered thunderstorms, causing multiple roads to flood. A man passing by the side of the road was suspected to have been electrocuted and died.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the man fell to the ground without any shouts, the process was very sudden. When some citizens tried to pull up the man, they felt a strong electric shock, even being “shocked to jump up”.
After the accident, the personnel of Houxitian Town Government in Jimei District confirmed that the man did die from being electrocuted.
The staff of the Guankou Power Supply Station stated that the water accumulation on the road caused the street lamps to leak electricity. They have conducted inspections on the site and temporarily found no safety hazards.
The construction of drainage systems in many cities in China lags behind, leading to frequent urban flooding.
The above-mentioned staff from the Guankou Power Supply Station pointed out, “the water accumulation on the road caused the street lamps to leak electricity”, revealing the challenges faced by urban infrastructure in extreme weather conditions.
Netizens expressed various opinions on the incident: “It’s frustrating, Xiamen’s drainage system is in a disastrous state.” “Xiamen’s drainage system is too poor, my car got flooded, and lost tens of thousands of yuan.” “During heavy rain, I never thought that traffic lights would leak electricity.” “Every time I see a lamp post, I detour because I basically don’t trust how many are normal.” “Fujian’s drainage system really needs improvement.”
Some also said, “The junction boxes of street lamps across the country are positioned too low.” “In this society, it’s all about fate.” “It’s too dangerous, the municipal government should compensate for the damages.”
However, this accident is not an isolated case. According to public reports, on July 1st of this year, Enshi City, Hubei Province, experienced heavy rainfall, resulting in local flood disasters. A shop owner and his wife in Xianfeng County were suspected to have been electrocuted and died in the flooded streets.
On the evening of August 4, 2024, heavy rain hit Yingkou, Liaoning, causing local roads to turn into rivers, with lamp posts leaking electricity, and a man accidentally electrocuted to death.
On July 30, 2023, sudden heavy rain in Nanchang, Jiangxi, a woman suspected to have been electrocuted and died while in a flooded road section.