Man, 24, electrocuted to death after hitting power line

A 24-year-old man working on a factory roof has been fatally electrocuted and his colleague badly burned when they hit a live power line.

The tragedy unfolded in a Moorebank industrial area, in Sydney’s southwest, on Monday about 2pm (local time), prompting a major emergency response from fire crews, paramedics and police.

They were called to a factory on Regent Crescent after a worker holding a metal rod struck a low-hanging power line.

“We were confronted with an extremely difficult situation, the metal roof had become electrified,” Bob Mey, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said.

Five men were on the roof at the time, with one trapped by the live wire.

“It was a very difficult situation to make contact with the final patient, when that finally occurred that patient was unfortunately found to be deceased,” NSW Ambulance Acting Inspector Andrew Cullen said.

His distraught loved ones rushed to the scene as crews worked to get his colleagues down.

“It was pretty devastating, there was a lady down there who was quite hysterical, there was a man screaming down there obviously related to the man who passed away,” a witness said.

The four surviving men were examined at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

Three did not require further treatment, one was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition to be treated for burns to his legs.

Endeavour Energy cut power to the whole site to ensure it was safe for them to come down.

The accident caused a significant power surge, enough to cut electricity to neighbouring businesses and nearby traffic lights.

A crime scene has been established and Work Cover NSW officers are investigating.

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