In the last 15 years, 2,869 people have been electrocuted in the country and 4,695 perished by drowning, with a high percentage of children under 15 years of age, according to the report of the National Statistics Office (ONE) that collects from 2007 to 2021.
The main causes of electrocution are due to power lines and cables. This is equivalent to 4.1% of the accidental and violent deaths that occurred in the country in this newspaper, in which traffic accidents totaled 27, 611; homicides 27,850 and suicides 8,757.
The years with the highest number of cases were 2007, 2008 and 2013 with 254, 219 and 216 respectively. The annual average of electrocutions for the period was 191 cases per year.
The electrocutions recorded in the period 2007 to 2021 indicate that there was a reduction in cases, going from 254 in 2007 to 179 in 2021, which represents a reduction of the order of 29.5%.
“The gross rate of electrocutions in the period 2009 to 2021 shows that there was a reduction in it, going from 2.05 in 2009 to 1.7 in 2021, representing a reduction of 0.35 points. The years with the highest rate of deaths by electrocution were 2010, 2013 and 2012 with 2.20, 2.21 and 2.14 per 100 thousand inhabitants”.
Power lines and cables were the ones that caused the most electrocutions.
Last year, 179 people were electrocuted in the country, a monthly average of 8.3%, but the months with the most deaths were September with 13.4%; July 11.2% and August with 10.6%.
The ONE report highlights that 86% of these deaths were caused by making contact with power lines and cables. Natural electrical discharges (lightning) caused 2.8% of deaths.
89.4% of electrocutions in 2021 occurred from eight in the morning to eight at night and the days of the week with the greatest number were from Tuesday to Friday, with an average of 16.6%, while from Saturday to Monday the daily average was 11.2%.
the drownings
The years with the highest number of drownings were 2008, 2011 and 2012 with 370, 349 and 338, respectively. While the years with the fewest cases were 2018, 2020 and 2014 with a total of 251, 272 and 289, respectively. The average annual number of drownings was 313 people.
For 2021, drowning deaths were mainly in the young and male population, with ages between 0 and 34 years with 66.9%; Of these, almost half (31.1%) were in children under 15 years of age, noting that 15.4% of these deaths were in children between 0 and 4 years of age.
According to the sex of the deceased, the highest percentage is occupied by men with 85.0%, while 15.0% was reported for women.
For this same year, the months in which the highest percentages of drowning were recorded were May, August and April with 11.3%, 11.0% and 10.3%, respectively; while the months with the lowest percentages were January, December, with 5.0%, 5.6%, and February and March, which registered 6.6% each. 55.2% of drownings occurred on beaches and rivers, and 26.6% in swimming pools, canals and the open sea, the remaining 18.2% in other places. The average daily drowning percentage was 14.3%.
The days with the highest percentage of drowning were Sunday, Saturday and Monday with 20.7%, 16.6% and 16.0%, respectively.
As for the days of the week with the lowest percentage of drownings, they were Thursday, Wednesday and Tuesday, with 9.7%, 10.7% and 12.2%, respectively.
In the Metropolitan, North Cibao and Valdesia regions, 53.9% of drownings in 2021 were concentrated, with 21.0%, 18.8% and 14.1%, respectively.
higher percentages
Provinces.
ONE statistics show that last year, of the 179 registered electrocutions, the regions with the highest percentage were the Metropolitan, Valdesia and Higuamo.
More quantity.
The provinces of Monte Plata, Barahona and Sánchez Ramírez had the highest rates with 4.23, 5.75 and 3.95 per 100 thousand people, respectively.
No cases.
In which there were no deaths last year due to electrocutions were Valverde, Santiago Rodríguez, Hato Mayor, Bahoruco and Elías Piña; “That is to say, that in these last provinces, in the year 2021, no electrocutions occurred.” According to the ONE report.