Three women electrocuted to death at public bathhouse in South Korea

The three elderly women were in a state of cardiac arrest when rescue workers arrived. - PHOTO: EPA-EFE - The Straits Times/ANN

SEOUL: Three women in their 70s died from electrocution after a short circuit occurred at a public bathhouse in the central city of Sejong in South Korea, the police said on Dec 24.

Yonhap News Agency reported the incident happened at 5.37am on Dec 24 while the women were soaking in a hot tub in a bathhouse in Sejong’s Jochiwon district.

According to an eyewitness, the elderly women screamed before collapsing. She then dialled the emergency number for help.

All three victims were in a state of cardiac arrest when rescue workers arrived. They were rushed to the hospital but were later pronounced dead, Yonhap reported.

A police official said: “Electricity appears to have flowed into the hot tub. We are conducting a joint site inspection to determine the cause of the short circuit.”

The bathhouse passed an electricity safety check conducted in June, according to officials. - The Straits Times/ANN