A 23-year-old man was last night flown from Esbjerg to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen for emergency treatment for serious burns he suffered after climbing on top of a train and getting electrocuted.
According to Banedanmark, he is the eleventh individual since 2012 to be injured climbing on top of trains in Denmark – several, including a 17-year-old male at Høje Taastrup Station in January, have lost their lives.
A nonsensical act
The 23-year-old was conscious when the police discovered him yesterday evening.
“It is a ridiculous thing to do,” Bjørn Pedersen from South Jutland Police told DR.
“You expose yourself to imminent danger when you climb around under the power lines. You could easily be killed, and you also risk being mutilated for the rest of your life.”
Caught by an electrical arc
With an electrical voltage of 25,000, the power lines are 100 times more powerful than a normal electrical outlet.
Rather than come into direct contact with the lines, it is believed most youths are caught by the electrical sparks that often form between the lines, particularly in wet weather, which look like lightning.
Banedanmark workers are warned to never get within 1.75 metres of them.
Martin Harrow, the security manager at Banedanmark, told DR it was always tragic when there is an accident, and he urged the need for more education on the matter.
“Both teachers and parents must encourage youngsters to not get up on the trains,” he said.
