Two rice harvesters were tragically electrocuted in a paddy field in Sam Khok District, Pathum Thani, on October 7, after mistaking a live electric wire for a grounding cable. The incident occurred at around 13:00 near the Prem Prachakorn Canal, Moo 2, Ban Pathum Subdistrict, leading to the deaths of two local men, despite resuscitation efforts at the scene.
Police and emergency services were called to the scene shortly after the accident, including rescue personnel from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation and medical staff from Krung Siam Saint Carlos Hospital. On arrival, medics attempted to revive the victims, identified as Mr. Yossak, 58, from Chiang Rak Noi Subdistrict, and Mr. Phongsakorn, 18, from Tai Koh Subdistrict, both in Sam Khok District. However, both men were pronounced dead on-site, with severe burn marks visible on their bodies.
The events unfolded as the two men, hired to assist with rice harvesting, spotted a hanging wire over the field. According to Niphon, a 45-year-old tractor driver working nearby, the victims assumed the wire was a grounding cable and offered to remove it. Tragically, they were electrocuted upon contact. Niphon used a wooden stick to dislodge the wire and quickly alerted authorities, but his efforts to save them came too late.
“I didn’t think something like this could happen,” Niphon remarked, visibly shaken by the ordeal.
Police Lieutenant Chanikan Sethienshaikit of Sam Khok Police Station is leading the investigation. The site has been photographed for evidence, and the bodies have been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice for further examination. An autopsy is expected to confirm electrocution as the cause of death, pending additional analysis.
