Man spits gutka on electrical wire in MP, dies of burns

Spitting gutka from his third-floor balcony reportedly caused the death of a 65-year-old man in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district after his spit came in contact with an 11 kV high-tension power line.

Prabhulal Gupta was standing on his balcony on Friday, October 23, when the incident occurred. The stream of saliva came into contact with the overhead wire, leaving him severely burnt, Times of India reported.

Gupta was a mason and had been living in the rented house for the past 10 years.

Residents alleged that the electricity company had ignored their concerns over the wires being too close to the buildings. Gupta’s landlord said that the electricity wires, poles and transformers in the area are in poor condition.

Electrical experts have said that such an incident could occur if a continuous stream of fluid reaches a live conductor.

An 11kV line can also produce an electrical arc under certain circumstances. Electricity can jump through the air if the balcony is sufficiently close to the conductor. If an electrical path is established through the body, the resulting shock can cause severe burns or death.