The Public Lighting Company of Ho Chi Minh City has to take responsibility for the death of a 13-year old boy killed Monday by a power leak from its lamp post, officials and lawyers said.

It was the company’s duty to ensure that all electric wires are completely safe and insulated even during heavy rains, the official said. It would be too dangerous for city residents if this was not done, he added.

Co Quoc Duy and two of his school mates were riding their bicycles on Tran Hung Dao Street at around 7:20 p.m. on Monday when they were all electrocuted, District 5 police said. Duy was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital while his friends survived.

Tran Trong Hue city, director of the lighting company, said Thursday the incident was unexpected as the heavy rains had flooded the street, submerging the power box of lamp post No. 86 and causing the wires to electrify the metal lamp post.

Lawyer Truong Xuan Tam said street lamp posts are legally considered as sources of grave danger and their owner has to compensate for any damages they cause.

As the accident led to a death, those who are responsible for lamp post safety will also be criminally liable if they are found not to have discharged their responsibilities appropriately, Tam said.

Duy’s family would file a lawsuit on Saturday against the Public Lighting Company for causing his death, said lawyer Co Le Huy, who is Duy’s uncle.

“We will pursue the lawsuit to the very end. This is not the first death caused by the irresponsibility of the authorities. There has already been an electrocution death [earlier this year] and many children have died after falling into unprotected manholes.”

“If we let it go, there would be other deaths like this.”

Huy said the family wants the lighting company’s managers to be charged with “irresponsibility causing serious consequences.” They would also sue the workers who directly dealt with the lamp post for involuntary manslaughter, he added.

Reported by Phuong Thanh