B.Tech student who suffered electric shock while taking selfie, dies

Rajahmundry: B.Tech student Kanumuri Sai Santosh Varma, 19 hailing from Visakhapatnam succumbed to his injuries while undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad in the early hours on Tuesday.

Varma along with his friends who was pursuing B.Tech at Gitam University in Visakhapatnam arrived to Rajahmundry on June 23 by a train to attend the marriage of a common friend at Nidadavole in West Godavari.

As they were exploring the railway station before proceeding to Nidadavole, Varma climbed atop a dead railway engine parked at Railway Yard near local railway station and was taking a selfie on his mobile phone when he suffered the electric shock from the overhead high tension power line having the capacity of 25,000 kv.

Under the impact, he suffered over 60 per cent burns on his body and fell down. He was immediately shifted to government hospital and later to a private hospital for medical treatment in the city.

In order to provide better medical care, his family members shifted him to Apollo at Santosh Nagar in Hyderabad on June 26 and since then he was under medical care at the hospital. He learnt to have told his mother Radhika who was at his bed-side, “We should be prepared to face any eventuality.”

His cousin Sunil Varma said that the boy used to speak for some time with his family members and they were expecting him to be alright in a few days.

Family members said that the boy was speaking up to 4.00 am on Tuesday morning and suddenly his condition deteriorated and breathed his last at about 5.00 am. His father Kumar, mother and other family members were present at that time. His body is being brought to Amalapuram to perform last rites.