SURALLAH, SOUTH COTABATO — A routine installation of a solar-powered streetlight turned tragic after a 23-year-old construction worker was electrocuted while two of his co-workers were critically injured in Barangay Libertad, Surallah, South Cotabato, on Thursday afternoon, October 23.
Authorities identified the fatality only as Ian, 23, while the injured were named Roberto, 51, and Rafael, 37. According to the Surallah Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office, the three workers were erecting a steel post intended for a solar streetlight when the galvanized pipe they were lifting accidentally touched a live high-tension power line owned by the South Cotabato Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO).
Ian was pronounced dead on the spot after suffering severe electrical shock, while Roberto and Rafael sustained third-degree burns and were rushed by emergency responders to a nearby hospital, where they remain in critical condition.
Barangay officials and responding police officers said the tragic incident was caused by the workers’ inadvertent contact with a dangling electric cable that hung between two roadside power posts.
Lack of Coordination Led to the Tragedy
In an interview, personnel from the Surallah Engineering Office said that the activity was carried out by a private individual who failed to coordinate with local authorities and SOCOTECO before the installation.
“This incident could have been avoided had there been proper coordination and inspection,” an engineering office representative said, emphasizing that such projects require clearance to ensure the safety of workers, especially near live power lines.
The foreman of the construction group admitted they did not anticipate the risk, thinking the task was safe since they were only reinstalling a solar streetlight. Unbeknownst to them, the power line nearby was part of a 69-kilovolt transmission line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
The installation was reportedly an attempt to reinstall a streetlight that had previously been damaged in a vehicular accident, as part of an agreement with local officials.
Provincial Government Offers Assistance
The office of South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. has extended its condolences and pledged assistance to Ian’s family, who reside in the nearby town of Banga.
Authorities remind contractors and individuals undertaking electrical or streetlight works to secure coordination and safety clearances from engineering offices and power utilities before proceeding with installations near energized lines.
“This painful tragedy should serve as a reminder that even renewable energy projects like solar lights still pose grave dangers if safety protocols are ignored,” a municipal disaster official said.