2 boys die from electrocution in Sukhumvit condo block

[Lite Beer]

2 boys die from electrocution in Sukhumvit condo block
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Two teenage boys, one American and the other Iranian, were electrocuted near a swimming pool at a condominium in central Bangkok yesterday.

Paul Dougherty and Daryush Hosseini, both 16 and students at an international school, were visiting friends at Charming Resident in Soi Sukhumvit 22. The boys were swimming in the pool, on the ninth floor of the building.

Witnesses told Thong Lor police that Dougherty got out of the pool and leaned against a light pole briefly before collapsing from electrocution. Hosseini then tried to pull Dougherty away, before he too succumbed to electric shocks.

Police said later that an inquiry was underway to try to determine if electricity was "leaking" near the light pole.

They warned that owners of the building would be charged over the boys' deaths, if that was confirmed.

-- The Nation 2014-05-31

[Mister Max]

There are reasons for building codes and licensed tradesman.

[tominbkk]

Why is there another thread for this story, already a long one from yesterday.

[noitom]

In the film Syriana, Matt Damon's son was electrocuted in the swimming pool.

Condolences to the family on this tragic and senseless loss of young life. The confluence of electric power and water all around in Thailand from streets, buildings, shops, and condo swimming pools is an extraordinary risk and danger to human life. Thais can bluster, posture and puff all they want, but the truth is that Thailand and particularly Bangkok is a nightmare of this type of electrocution risk.

[tezzainoz]

is life on TVF become boreing

We already had this same post yesterday

do we now need every posting to be done twice

Your opinions please ??

[The stuttering parrot]

Probably due to the fact that the media like us are restricted on what they can report and comment on due to the you know what!

So it makes for slow news days or the rehashing of news items!

[joepattaya1961]

"Police said later that an inquiry was underway to try to determine if electricity was "leaking" near the light pole"

Will give the condo-owner enough time to solve the problem before the investigation will actually start.

[hanno]

Already here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/730306-iranian-american-teenagers-electrocuted-at-swimming-pool-of-bangkok-condominium/

[tomyummer]

Groundhog day in ThaiVisa.

[daveAustin]

Rarely is anything earthed here.

[Watertoy]

More reason to employ Farangs and learn from their expertise to bring in Quality Control and Safety Measures......instead of "near enough is good enough"

[MMarlow]

"Police said later that an inquiry was underway to try to determine if electricity was "leaking" near the light pole"

Will give the condo-owner enough time to solve the problem before the investigation will actually start.

No it won't, if something is "underway" it is happening now, not in the future.

[MMarlow]

is life on TVF become boreing

We already had this same post yesterday

do we now need every posting to be done twice

Your opinions please ??

This is the same subject but not the same report. This one mentions the owner's potential liability.

[Basil B]

"They warned that owners of the building would be charged over the boys' deaths, if that was confirmed."

As a condominium is owned jointly buy all the co-owners (each condo owner owns a share by proportion of the condominiums communal assets and their could be hundreds even a thousand or so dependent on the size of the project) and as such is run by an appointed Juristic person.

should it not be the Juristic person and management who should be responsible?

[jaltsc]

"Dougherty got out of the pool and leaned against a light pole briefly before collapsing from electrocution. Hosseini then tried to pull Dougherty away, before he too succumbed to electric shocks."

"Grounding? We don't need no stinkin' grounding."

Unfortunately, this is the case throughout Thailand. There are either no building codes, or the codes are ignored. I've seen wires leading from poles into houses that are no thicker than those found on a 40 year-old electric appliance. It is surprising that this type of tragedy doesn't happen more often, or perhaps they are just not reported.

[Strangebrew]

Once certain people get paid the boys will be found at fault for being at condo swimming. Or they will blame the farang sad to say but mostly true.

[Strangebrew]

Building Code in Thailand is build it fast build it cheap, Not my fault if not built correctly.

[arminbkk]

Unless the two boys were kicking the light pole for 5 minutes on purpose causing it to break and resulting in the electrocution

(which they did not do of course, I am just giving a lead-in example), it would appear that the light pole

was unsafe, probably due to lack of proper maintenance, maybe even poor installation.

Whatever is the case, the light pole is in a public place near water, normal safety measures would include at least earthing and

proper maintenance. A swimming pool owner has the responsibility to maintain a pool and keep it safe.

This is how Thai judges and lawyers will look at it. Based on Thai law, the owner of the building is liable.

I deal with liability cases for my work here now and then so I know how the Thai law is explained in this regard.

What action is taken after such an assessment is of course another matter.

[beautifulthailand99]

Very sad RIP - what an utter tragic waste of life. We wanted cheap and we got cheap - the hidden cost of living in a 'cheap' developing country. As another poster mentioned on another thread if we got the country we moan for most of us couldn't afford to live here.

[bangrak]

12Volt, leakage circuit breaker? Mai, mai, peng mak mak... Old German joke about accelerated education: 'Yesterday I didn't know how to write insheneer, and today I am one'. A friend of mine is a (Swiss) electrical engineer specialized in pools, when I hear his stories, it's a miracle it doesn't happen somewhere every day! Most Thais will deny it, but this is not an accident, there are other words better appropriate to qualify it!

[Basil B]

Unless the two boys were kicking the light pole for 5 minutes on purpose causing it to break and resulting in the electrocution

(which they did not do of course, I am just giving a lead-in example), it would appear that the light pole

was unsafe, probably due to lack of proper maintenance, maybe even poor installation.

Whatever is the case, the light pole is in a public place near water, normal safety measures would include at least earthing and

proper maintenance. A swimming pool owner has the responsibility to maintain a pool and keep it safe.

This is how Thai judges and lawyers will look at it. Based on Thai law, the owner of the building is liable.

I deal with liability cases for my work here now and then so I know how the Thai law is explained in this regard.

What action is taken after such an assessment is of course another matter.

As pointed out in my earlier post the building is owned by numinous co-owners, I hope and expect the building to be covered by insurance that will pay compensation but as such building is run by a Juristic person I see him (she) being the place the buck stops, if they, any employee or contractor were found to be negligent or reckless in their duties then they should be charged with 2 counts of murder.

[rametindallas]

There are reasons for building codes and licensed tradesman.

All wiring should have a 'ground' and all wiring that is anywhere near water should have a Ground Fault Interrupt Circuit breaker installed in-line. Change the building codes now. Senseless, needless, tragic deaths.

Edited June 1, 2014 by rametindallas

[rametindallas]

In the film Syriana, Matt Damon's son was electrocuted in the swimming pool.

Condolences to the family on this tragic and senseless loss of young life. The confluence of electric power and water all around in Thailand from streets, buildings, shops, and condo swimming pools is an extraordinary risk and danger to human life. Thais can bluster, posture and puff all they want, but the truth is that Thailand and particularly Bangkok is a nightmare of this type of electrocution risk.

Quite a few deaths during the 2011 flood were caused by electrocution. I have to believe that GFICs would have prevented many of them.

[fotog]

No need to investigate:

*The electric to the pole was not grounded.

*There was no Ground Fault Circuit Breaker (GFCI) installed in the panel that is wired to the lamp pole.

The contractor:

*Saved a few bucks when it was installed or

*Never even heard of a GFCI Breaker.

The building inspector:

*Never inspected the electric or

*Looked the other way for some tea money

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[dhrobertson]

You should allow the investigation to be completed before apportioning blame

Do you understand ground fault loop impedance? prospective fault current? No? I expect the owner didn't either

Facts are:-

1) Thai electricians are not formally trained or examined (coded)

2) Typically, they don't know their own code

3) There are no satutory inspections

Until the tourist industry starts demanding certification, I doubt we will see any change

[beautifulthailand99]

The whole of the electrics in Thailand is a tragic joke which isn't funny. One wonders how many of the cable guys lose their lives working on the crazy cabling systems.

[ding]

There are reasons for building codes and licensed tradesman.

And reasons for using grounded to physical earth electrical systems. You have to ground everything and it's more expensive.

*OR*

You can pay with your life for choosing to lean on an innocent light pole.

I still think of the kid in Chiang Mai - killed by grabbing a conductor while climbing out of a klong by a bridge. I've recounted that story many times.