Police are investigating the death an 18-year-student who was killed by electrocution from touching a floodlight pole at a public basketball court at Suan Luang (King’s Park) on Saturday evening (July 13).
An emergency medical team from Vachira Phuket Hospital were called to the park at 6pm.
The medical team arrived to find 18-year-old Prince of Songkhla University Phuket campus student Kahled Nour dead on the ground.
Mr Nour, of Thai-Egyptian heritage, was a local Phuket student who graduated at Kajonkietsuksa School.
Another young man, Cherdsak “Enzo” Vaiano, was also electrocuted in the incident, but survived and is currently receiving treatment at Siriroj International Hospital.
The area has been sealed off for safety and pending further investigation, Phuket City Police Chief Col Sompong Thiparpakul told The Phuket News today (July 15).
Col Sompong refused to confirmed whether or not all the light poles in the public park had been shut down or checked for safety.
“I have told the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority to check every light pole in the area and forensic police are coming to inspect the scene today,” Col Sompong said.
“I don’t have the authority to close the area. It is not my responsibility,” he said.
Col Sompong also refused to confirm or deny whether the police were investigating possible criminal liability for the lethal condition of the electrical cabling in the public park.
“We can’t make conclusions about criminal liability regarding this incident until we have finished our investigation… I won’t charge anyone until the investigation is finished,” was all he would say.
