Woman electrocuted while throwing her child's diaper from terrace

A woman in the Indian capital of New Delhi has died after coming in contact with a high tension wire when she tried to throw a soiled diaper in an open land.

The incident occurred on Tuesday (15 August) when the 24-year-old Annu visited her uncle's house in southwest Delhi's Bindapur. The woman apparently suffered the fatal electric shock while she was disposing of her child's soiled diaper from the terrace of the house.

The diaper reportedly struck an overhead power cable, and the intensity of the shock was such that her clothes immediately caught fire.

"The victim had come to her uncle's house from Himachal Pradesh along with her son on Sunday for the holidays. She got a strong electric jolt from the wire and was thrown back on the roof. The intensity of the shock was so strong that her clothes caught fire, resulting in burn injuries," a police officer was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Soon after the incident, Annu was taken to a nearby hospital but was referred to another hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The woman's body has not been given to the family members as an autopsy is yet to be conducted.

An investigation has been launched into the case to find how the accident happened.

Investigators have also contacted the power supply company to ascertain the circumstances under which the woman was electrocuted and a case under causing death due to negligence has been registered.