Thailand--Defective Water Cooler Kills Boy at School

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(Story from March 8, 2000)

Defective water cooler kills boy at Klong Toey school

Cook felt shock as she attempted rescue

A boy was electrocuted by a water cooler at a Klong Toey school yesterday.

Yuranan Saenbua, eight, suffered a shock while getting a drink from the machine at Soon Ruam Namjai school, Art Narong road, and died on the way to Kluai Nam Thai hospital.

Schoolmates said Yuranan, or Nong Joe, had convulsions and fell to the ground while pressing the button to drink water from his palms.

Somjai Mabamrung, the school's cook, said she rushed to help Nong Joe but felt current passing through her left arm. On a second attempt, she pulled him from the cooler by his shirt sleeve.

Thamrong Wararat, the headmaster, said the school would cover funeral costs and the family would be compensated from its insurance policy.

"It was an accident," said Mr Thamrong. "Had I known the cooler was faulty I would have had it kept away."Thanwa Jiewtrakul, deputy director of the city's educational office, said City Hall would help Nong Joe's family and investigate the case.

Pawinee Yodtalad, a classmate of Nong Joe, said some teachers had earlier warned that one of the school's three coolers had a short circuit. Thawatchai Boonlarp, a Prathom 4 student, said the school had earlier posted a warning on a cooler telling students not to use it.

Tha Rua police sent the machine to the Scientific Crime Detection Division for examination. It was reported the school had its three coolers serviced in January by Nakhon Luang Refrigerator Store in Soi On-nuj. http://www.bangkokpost.net/

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 09, 2000

Answers

Update:

Distributor points to compressor fault

Wassayos Ngarmkham March 10,2000

The manager of a firm which supplied a water cooler which electrocuted a Klong Toey student was questioned by Tha Rua police yesterday.

Thalerngsak Phadungyudh, manager of Nakhon Luang Cold Storage, said the electric shock which killed Yuranan Saenbua, 8, might have been caused by a malfunctioning of the water cooler's compressor.

The company changed the tap, switch and temperature control system when hired by Soon Ruam Namjai School to repair the machine in December, he said. When the school bought the cooler from the firm in 1995 it had a one-year warranty.

Pol Lt-Col Kookiat Chanphum said if the short circuit was found to have been caused by faulty repairs the firm would be held responsible for the student's death. http://www.bangkokpost.net/today/100300_News06.html

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-- Dee360Degree (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 09, 2000.


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