A suspected attempt to steal ESCOM electricity cables has left a 39-year-old scrap dealer seriously injured after a high-voltage electric shock trapped him inside a transformer cage in Mzuzu.
Amon Nkhata was electrocuted on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at St John of God in Chibanja, where he was allegedly attempting to cut an electrical cable from an ESCOM transformer.
Nkhata was reportedly found trapped inside the transformer cage with severe injuries to one hand and one leg. Police officers rescued him and rushed him to Mzuzu Central Hospital for medical attention.
Police say investigations are underway and Nkhata is expected to appear in court once they are concluded.
His ordeal comes amid growing concern over the theft and destruction of electricity infrastructure, with vandals putting their lives at risk while disrupting power supply to communities.
Recently, Minister of Energy Dr Jean Chifuniro Mathanga told Parliament that at least 100 areas had reported cases of vandalism involving electricity equipment.
Mathanga described the practice as a major setback to government efforts to expand electricity access, saying the ministry was working with law enforcement agencies, local leaders and communities to strengthen surveillance and reporting of suspected offenders.
ESCOM board member Welford Sabola has also raised the alarm over increasing attacks on the corporation’s infrastructure, warning that vandalism undermines efforts to improve electricity supply and connect more people to the national grid.
ESCOM has urged the public to stop tampering with its installations and report suspicious activities to the corporation or police, warning that electricity infrastructure carries deadly high-voltage currents capable of causing serious injuries or death.
