Udon man found dead with his headphones on - police suspect electrocution

[webfact]

Udon man found dead with his headphones on - police suspect electrocution


Image: Daily News

BANGKOK: -- A girlfriend wondered why contact with her boyfriend had stopped for a couple on days on Sunday. So she went to his flat and after finding the door locked she used her spare key to gain entry. The chain was on the door but the smell was terrible.

Security who climbed up to peer in a window confirmed that her boyfriend was dead. Bangsaothong police called to the condo in Samut Prakarn found Udon Thani native Runroj Soha, 24, dead with headphones on, reported Daily News. They were connected to a computer and police said they suspect that the man was electrocuted.

His body was sent for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

His girlfriend Hormmali said that he lived alone. She lived elsewhere with a friend and herself and the deceased both worked in different factories. She had chatted to him on Facebook on Friday then after contact had ceased she went round on Sunday. She said he had no illnesses and was a fit and healthy young man.

Source: Daily News


-- 2016-06-21

[smedly]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

[Somtamnication]

In Thailand anything is possible. Not in this case, but if you are found with hand tied behind your back, plastic bag on your head, suicide!

[dcnx]

Jesus, make it stop. Please.

[kannot]

I think "Angry Bird" did it........best "Thai" explanation I can think of

[Bangkokazy]

If the headset is a copy made in China, everything is possible.

[The stuttering parrot]

Two shocking stories currently running on Thai visa!

The mobile phone and now this.

Truly electrifying journalism and hats off to the lead reporter as he's wired right into these stories I thought I'd give him a plug!

[Nasrullah]

the music(if you can call it that)nowadays could possibly kill someone.......Did police check for justin bieber memorabilia at the scene!

[macksview]

RIP young man.

if he was as said, a factory lad earning a crust working in a factory, a waste of a young man's life who was trying to make an honest living.

Edited June 20, 2016 by macksview

[thesetat2013]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

I would have to agree. The wires are so thin that it's hard to believe enough current could pass through it to kill a healthy adult male.

[trogers]

Faulty power supply unit in the computer which is not earthed...

[LennyW]

Lightning strike?

[halloween]

The smell was terrible, but once the body was removed, a quick sniff of the computer box would give a strong indication if it was at fault. The smell of fried electronics is unmistakeable.

[Artisi]

Two shocking stories currently running on Thai visa!

The mobile phone and now this.

Truly electrifying journalism and hats off to the lead reporter as he's wired right into these stories I thought I'd give him a plug!

Just don't plug the plug into the power socket, we don't need any further suicides this week. Edited June 21, 2016 by Artisi

[khunano]

This made my day....

[Familyaffairs]

From low voltage ?

[Taffyfromflint]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

I would have to agree. The wires are so thin that it's hard to believe enough current could pass through it to kill a healthy adult male.

Not impossible. Last year whilst in bed a young lady died whilst wearing headphones connected to her laptop which was also connected to the power charger. The was evidence of combustion taking place on the bedcover.The investigation showed that the power charger was a non genuine unit purchased at a market and as such was not equipped with a fail safe component and as a result the current shorted through the laptop and subsequently throught he headphones. This led to a government bulletin warning of the dangers of buying non genuine items form the likes of ebay and other online sellers as well as markets. Maybe the investigators in LoS are not trained in such investigative proceedures.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

This story just does not add up.

The girlfriend claims to have had a spare key??? I have never heard of the Thais having this type of equipment before.

[johncat1]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

There is no earthing system in thailand and the live and neutral cables are often plugged in the wrong way around, making the neutral on the appliance actually live.

I have often seen microphones live due to poor electrical systems on sound systems.

BUT most earphones are padded which forms an insulated barrier, unless he was wearing cheap in the ear phones

[slipperylobster]

Besides smoking...death from headphones is 2nd largest cause of death (in Thailand).

Never shave the wires and insert them in your ears. That is what the plastic cover is for.

Wearing headsets on the balcony is especially lethal.

(I use bluetooth, and stay indoors)

Edited June 21, 2016 by slipperylobster

[cmth]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

There is no earthing system in thailand and the live and neutral cables are often plugged in the wrong way around, making the neutral on the appliance actually live.

I have often seen microphones live due to poor electrical systems on sound systems.

BUT most earphones are padded which forms an insulated barrier, unless he was wearing cheap in the ear phones

You cannot compare microphones and head phones. A professional condenser microphone carries 48V DC. And can deliver a nasty shock or even death under the right circumstances. The reason has nothing to do with swapped neutral or non grounded equipment. Once the mic cable leaves the sound board it is carrying DC voltage, a swapped neutral or even no ground on the AC side makes no difference. There is a polarity switch on the sound board that it used to change the positive and negative lines on the mic cable to prevent shock. Since DC current also flows through the metal strings of the guitar, this polarity switch is necessary to prevent the shock than can occur with different polarity. Yes, there has been at least one case of some one being electrocuted by a microphone. Headphones are completely different. Most headphones operate between 1.5 and 5 volts. Amperage output is extremely minimal. There is no bare metal to touch the skin. The wires used in headphones are so small, they would melt before supplying enough current to cause electrocution. There is the one story about the defective computer and power supply sending 220V straight to the head phone jack. This story is suspect to me and if it really did happen and result in a death, it was the best case of Murphy's Law I've ever heard of and I think the odds of getting killed by a flying pig/goat hybrid are much higher. BTW There is an earthing system in Thailand. Whether or not the electrician used it is a different story.

Edited June 21, 2016 by cmth

[gyrosman]

DC POWER morons, this is not TELSA and EINSTEIN and the first electric chair. DC power, electrocution. The longer I live here the stupid this country is.

[MissAndry]

I agree, electrocuted by headphones = not believable.

[smedly]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

There is no earthing system in thailand and the live and neutral cables are often plugged in the wrong way around, making the neutral on the appliance actually live.

I have often seen microphones live due to poor electrical systems on sound systems.

BUT most earphones are padded which forms an insulated barrier, unless he was wearing cheap in the ear phones

You cannot compare microphones and head phones. A professional condenser microphone carries 48V DC. And can deliver a nasty shock or even death under the right circumstances. The reason has nothing to do with swapped neutral or non grounded equipment. Once the mic cable leaves the sound board it is carrying DC voltage, a swapped neutral or even no ground on the AC side makes no difference. There is a polarity switch on the sound board that it used to change the positive and negative lines on the mic cable to prevent shock. Since DC current also flows through the metal strings of the guitar, this polarity switch is necessary to prevent the shock than can occur with different polarity. Yes, there has been at least one case of some one being electrocuted by a microphone. Headphones are completely different. Most headphones operate between 1.5 and 5 volts. Amperage output is extremely minimal. There is no bare metal to touch the skin. The wires used in headphones are so small, they would melt before supplying enough current to cause electrocution. There is the one story about the defective computer and power supply sending 220V straight to the head phone jack. This story is suspect to me and if it really did happen and result in a death, it was the best case of Murphy's Law I've ever heard of and I think the odds of getting killed by a flying pig/goat hybrid are much higher. BTW There is an earthing system in Thailand. Whether or not the electrician used it is a different story.

unless something has dramatically changed, guitar strings are not electrically attached to anything, the rest of your post is pretty much spot on, thx for the detail, it amazes me how police here suddenly become engineers - pathologists - forensic experts when they are called to a sudden death or murder scene, perhaps they would be better leaving the expert evaluation to ......experts

[trogers]

Why would we jump to the conclusion that the deceased was electrocuted through his headphones?

From the photos, he was using his computer while wearing headphones. Electrocution could be from some other source, other than his headphones.

[BuaBS]

Headphones are plastic....since when is plastic a conductor ?

Where do the wires touch the skin ?

[gandalf12]

the music(if you can call it that)nowadays could possibly kill someone.......Did police check for justin bieber memorabilia at the scene!

If e was listening to Justin Bieber then he was probably beyond help. What a tragic way to go.

[jerojero]

Idiots. Cannot be electrocuted from milliamps in headphones.

[xtrnuno41]

absolute nonsense, I cannot think of how this could be even a remote possibility unless he plugged the headphones into a wall socket and even then it still seems impossible

I would have to agree. The wires are so thin that it's hard to believe enough current could pass through it to kill a healthy adult male.

It doesnt need to be much, it is only 30 mA = 0.03 A. That could be enought to kill !! Depending on several factors as sweat, condition heart, left or right site contact, condition of your blood. The wires are thick enough to carry that current

Thats why you have earth or differential safety switches of 30 mA, you will feel but then power is shut down automatically, fast. I know.

Voltages to where it might be safe are 110VDC or 50 VAC. But you can feel it !! Again all depending on your body specifications.

But guess the guy put on his head set and put his fingers in the powersocket and did not have safetyswitch, hehehehe

[tomyumchai]

maybe the thin headphone wite had snapped so he replaced it with starter motor cable and then absentmindedly pushed the headphone socket into the mains? well, just about every other stupid theory has been offered....except ghosts..... was there a ghost in the machine?