Two boys hurt while ‘stealing’ VECO wires

Two boys were hurt after they touched a live wire while allegedly trying to steal the electric wires hanging at the top of the skywalk near the Osmeña Boulevard exit gate of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City past 9 a.m. Thursday.

The victims, names withheld for being minors, were immediately brought to VSMMC for treatment. One is 11 while the other is 12 years old.

In an interview with VSMMC spokesperson Nonoy Mongaya, the two boys were recuperating from the burns they sustained. They were in stable condition as of yesterday.

Witnesses said there was an explosion after the two boys, together with other street kids staying at the skywalk, climbed the roof. One of the boys shouted for help.

A 14-year-old girl who witnessed the incident said the 12-year-old boy was stuck in the wires before he fell to the ground.

The boy sustained burns on his face, arms and legs.

The younger boy sustained minor burns in his legs as he was able to run when he heard the explosion.

Tata Rama, who owns a shoe repair shop nearby, said the street kids staying at the skywalk are  giving them a headache.

“Mag sige man na silag dagan-dagan unya kung buyagon kay kataw-an ra ka, usahay mamato man gani sa amo (They keep running from one side to another and if we tell them to stop, they would laugh at us and sometimes throw stones),” he said.

The explosion that hurt the boys left a black burned area and two small holes on the blue roof of the skywalk.

Rama said the two boys tried to steal the electric wires. They will sell it and the proceeds will be used to buy rugby for sniffing.

Rama said he will contact the Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) since the wire that the boys tried to steal poses danger to vendors and passersby.

Carlo Bernabe, who was sleeping on the sidewalk, said he was awakened by the commotion. He said he saw the older boy holding a pair of pliers when his body got stuck among the bundled wires for a few seconds before he fell.

Bernabe said he tried but failed to catch the boy.

Atty. Jill Verallo, VECO’s reputation management officer, said the two boys tried to steal electric wires from primary lines.

She said their primary lines are covered with insulation to prevent electrocution, but the boys peeled off its protective covering which caused the electric shock.

Verallo sent a team to check the affected lines.

“But most likely, the incident did not cause any power interruption in the area. That’s why we were not alerted about this,” she said in a text message to CDN.