Grief overcame a Penal community yesterday after they learned that one of their own, eight-year-old Breanna Jessica Jaglal, had been electrocuted as she tried to charge her electronic tablet device.
The wails of Breanna’s father, Brendon Jaglal, could be heard houses away after he got news his second of two children had died at the San Fernando General Hospital following the incident.
According to police reports, Breanna was using her tablet downstairs her Batchiya Branch Trace #1 home around 8.30 am when the incident occurred.
Relatives said she went into the washroom and tried to plug the tablet’s charger into an extension cord which was hanging on the wall over a washing machine. As she made contact with the extension cord’s socket, however, she began “fidgeting” and fell to the ground.
Her parents, Brendon and Ann-Maureen Jaglal, immediately picked up the child and contacted the Emergency Health Services. An ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and she was taken to hospital. However, the Standard Two pupil of the Dayanand Memorial Vedic School, Penal, died as doctors were attending to her.
By mid-morning, T&TEC workers had already disconnected power to the house. Relatives said they believed faulty wiring may have been the cause of the incident as the house’s electrical system was old.
When the T&T Guardian arrived at the family’s home, Jaglal was being interviewed by police while Ann-Maureen and their other daughter, Shaina, were at the hospital with Breanna.
As relatives broke the tragic news of the child’s death Jaglal began screaming out. Overcome with grief, he feinted under the house and had to be held up by relatives. Minutes later, Ann Maureen and Shaina returned home and huddled together in a room.
Breanna’s aunt, Emily Mohammed, told the T&T Guardian relatives were gathering more information about the child’s death.
“I got a phone call just stating that I needed to come to the San Fernando Hospital to meet my sister as ‘Bree’ apparently got shocked,” Mohammed said.
“I wasn’t too sure if it was home or at school so I went to bathe, got dressed and by the time I was finished another call came in that she had already passed away.
“I don’t know much, I can’t say much because when I did make a call to her mother she was already screaming down the hospital. I tried my best to reach here as fast as possible.”
Describing Breana, she said: “She is loving. She could be ‘harden’ at times but she is most loving.”
She chuckled as she recalled celebrating her birthday last Sunday with Breanna.
Penal police visited the home and took a statement from Jaglal.
The family immediately started preparations for a wake yesterday evening.