Sydney workers were seriously injured by accidentally touching high-voltage power lines (Daily Mail photo)
A Sydney construction worker accidentally pierced a high-voltage cable while using a hand drill this morning, causing severe burns and being rushed to medical treatment. The accident caused the power loss of tens of thousands of families in Sydney.
According to the Daily Mail, at about 11:00 today, a construction worker in his thirties at the (Bidwill) site in Birdville, West Sydney, accidentally encountered a 11000 volt high-voltage cable with severe burns to his face, neck and back. The helicopter was rushed to Sydney North Coast Hospital for treatment at (North Shore Hospital).
A spokesman for the new state ambulance team said emergency workers arrived and found the man in a coma, "in very bad condition."
The accident caused a breakdown in the (Plumpton Zone Substation) of the Planton Substation, resulting in a power outage of about 13600 homes and businesses in (Mt Druitt), Juqishan.
Endeavour Energy, the power company, said most homes had returned to power around 1 p.m., but some were still powered off and repairs would continue for hours.
Endeavour Energy and (SafeWork NSW), the new state safety agency, will conduct a full investigation into the incident.