Five die in waterpark electrocution

Three children and two adults have died in a pool at a Turkish waterpark in the town of Akyazi, 150 kilometres east of Istanbul.

Three children aged 12, 15 and 17 were seen to be in trouble in the pool after the water became electrified. Reports from Turkish media then describe how the 58-year-old manager of the pool and his 30-year-old son saw the children in distress and dived into the water to save them. Unfortunately, they were also electrocuted. Staff cut the power to the pool but all five had suffered cardiac arrest.

The injured people were rushed to Akyazi State Hospital but could not be saved.

No residual current device

According to initial reports reproduced in the Daily Sabah, an electric cable fell into the pool, charging the water with an electrical current. There were also many cables around the pool area as the facility was undergoing renovation, said police. They also said that after inspecting the scene, they found no residual current device (RCD) at the water park. RCD is a device that instantly breaks an electric circuit to prevent serious harm from an ongoing electric shock

Two other people were hurt after touching metal railings near the pool.

Hasan Akcan, Akyazi's mayor, said the park had received a license in 2012 as a swimming pool and amusement centre. He added that the incident was saddening.

Police are continuing their investigations into the cause of the electrocutions.