10/08/2009

Teen Electrocuted At Railway Depot

A teenage boy has died at a railway maintenance site in Liverpool, after being electrocuted with 25,000 volts by an overhead power line.

The 13-year-old boy had been playing with two friends in Allerton, Liverpool when the tragedy occurred.

It is believed the teen was on the roof of a train when he touched the overhead cables, "arcing" a massive power surge downwards.

The two friends he was with suffered superficial injuries and are currently being treated at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "We received reports that three youths had been seen in the depot and had been on the roof of a disused freight train.

"It would appear the boys came into close proximity with the overhead cable and the electricity arced.

"Sadly a 13-year-old boy suffered serious burns and died as a result of his injuries.

"Two other boys suffered superficial injuries only and are currently being treated at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. We don't believe anyone else was involved in the incident. The investigation is ongoing."

The spokesman added that the depot was in a large, fenced off area and it would not have necessarily been apparent where the boys were after entering.

The scene has been cordoned off and the boy has not yet been named.

(JM/BMcC)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

27 May 2015
Six Men Jailed After Whiskey And Chocolate Theft
Six men have been sentenced after lorries carrying whiskey and chocolate were stolen in Kent during April 2013. The thefts occurred in the Dover area. Police said high value whiskey with a retail price of £23,000 was stolen from the trailer of a lorry parked in a haulage yard in Lyndden.
15 March 2012
'Drunken Fans' Blamed For Hillsborough Tragedy
Confidential government documents have revealed a senior Merseyside police officer blamed "drunken Liverpool fans" for causing the Hillsborough disaster. The BBC has seen leaked briefings sent to former PM Margaret Thatcher about Britain's worst sports tragedy.
05 August 2009
Brothers 'Win' Hospital Poisoning Case
An eight-year legal battle has been won after a Merseyside hospital admitted effectively poisoning two brothers. Liam McNeely, 35, and his brother Paul, 39, received blood transfusions for a rare form of anaemia at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
17 October 2007
More Talks Due In Postal Dispute
The leaders of the Communication Workers' Union are due to meet with Royal Mail management for further talks on Thursday to decide whether to recommend an offer on pay and conditions to their members. The union reportedly wants to clarify outstanding issues of the deal.
24 October 2014
Eleven Arrested Over Liverpool Rape
Eleven people have been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in Liverpool. The woman, 43, was assaulted at her home in the Anfield area on 24th September. The people arrested include a 12-year-old boy, three 13-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl.