Around 3:15 AM, rainwater flooded a 30 m2 rented room on Street 11, Thu Duc ward, where Nguyen Thanh Gian, 35, lived with his wife. Seeing the water reach ankle-deep, Gian moved his motorbike to a safe place, while his wife went to the mezzanine to lay out plastic sheets, preparing to move their belongings to higher ground.
According to authorities, while on the mezzanine, Nguyen Le Ngan Ai heard her husband call for help. Looking down, she saw Gian standing in the water, his left hand grasping an electrical wire, showing signs of electrocution.
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The rented room where the incident occurred. Photo: Anh Hoang. |
The rented room where the incident occurred. Photo: Anh Hoang.
His wife immediately switched off the circuit breaker on the mezzanine, but the electrical wire her husband was holding was still live, so she shouted for help. Hearing her shouts, neighbors rushed over and cut the main circuit breaker for the entire rented complex. Upon entering the room, they found Gian lying in the water, his hand still gripping the electrical wire.
His wife and neighbors took the victim to Thu Duc General Hospital for emergency treatment, but he had already died.
Initial inspection by authorities revealed a roughly half-meter long electrical wire with stripped plastic insulation, exposing the copper core in several places. This wire connected an outlet to a washing machine located under the stairs, near the entrance of the rented room. Before the accident, Gian was unplugging the washing machine to move items to prevent flooding.
On the evening of 7/10, heavy rain and thunderstorms lasting over two hours caused deep flooding and traffic jams on many roads and residential areas in Ho Chi Minh City. In Thu Duc ward, some low-lying areas saw water inundate homes, which had not fully receded by the next morning.
Following the incident, Thu Duc ward authorities visited and supported the family with funeral arrangements. Neighbors also donated 10 million VND to help the victim's family.
Ho Dinh
