08.01.2026

Dual electrocution

Two men were electrocuted while using a utility truck in Charleston, North Carolina, on Tuesday evening, January 6th.

The men were apparently working on overhead lines, and in the dark, according the local police and a witness, they only had the light from their mobile phones to see the work. As a result, they missed the power lines, and their platform became tangled in the wires. The electric power passed through them to the ground, and the lift caught fire.

Officers from the North Charleston Police Department were the first on the scene and tried to find help, but with the machine still live and the fire raging, they were unable to do much of anything.

A team from Dominion Power joined them on the scene and cut the power, allowing the fire to be extinguished. The two teams then tried to lower the platform away from the wires, but failed. Their bodies were later recovered.

A bystander who reported the incident told the police that he attempted to warn the two men, both of whom were 25, when he noticed them getting close to the lines, but to no avail.
We will update if and when we learn more details.

Vertikal Comment

Not a great start to the new year, and not only in terms of electrocution at height, but we are also investigating two scissor lift fatal crushing incidents, one in Singapore and one in Hong Kong, along with two reported crane incidents, and it's not the end of the first week yet. Hopefully, this is not a sign of things to come.