Andhra Man Answers Phone Kept on Charge, Dies of Electrocution

A man in Andhra Pradesh was electrocuted to death on 31 July after he answered his mobile phone.

A man in Andhra Pradesh was electrocuted to death on Tuesday, 31 July after he answered his mobile phone, which had been kept on charge.

(Photo: The Quint)

A man in Andhra Pradesh was electrocuted to death on Tuesday, 31 July after he answered his mobile phone, which had been kept on charge.

The police suspect that high voltage at Vagupally village near Ongole town in Prakasam district’s Kanigiri mandal, may have led to the death of 31-year-old Changu Mastan Reddy.

Mastan, a person with disabilities, used to live alone. His body was found by neighbours, who sensed a burning smell coming from the deceased’s house.

They noticed Mastan Reddy lying on the ground with his mobile phone in his left hand. He was taken to hospital, where he was declared brought dead due to electrocution. Mastan Reddy lived alone on a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 from the government under the disabled category. Both his parents died few years ago.

U Srinivasulu, Kanigiri sub-inspector to the<i> <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vijayawada/man-answers-phone-while-it-was-being-charged-dies-in-massive-voltage-surge/articleshow/65219108.cms">Times of India</a>.</i>

The kin of the deceased completed the formalities at the hospital and took his body home. The police said that Mastan was not using a smartphone and suspect that the cell phone battery may have exploded due to overheating.

A case was registered under Section 174 of the CrPC and investigation was underway. The body was also sent for an autopsy.

This incident comes days after a cell phone exploded in the hands of an eight-year-old, almost severing three of his fingers and leaving with severe burns on his chest at RS Pendekal in Tuggali mandal in Kurnool district.

V Jagan Achari, a Class 3 student of a private school, was playing games on a China-made phone that was left for charging by one of his parents. The phone heated up and exploded.

Upon hearing the child’s screams, the father, V Maddilety Achari, rushed Jagan to the Pathikonda Government Hospital from where he was referred to the Kurnool General Hospital.

(The article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished in an arrangement.)