Dubai: In a first-time incident, Asian man tragically killed by solar panels

Dubai Police warned members of the public who do not have sufficient experience in installing renewable solar panels not to do so, and stressed the need for companies specialized in this field to train those who wish to install these panels and introduce them to the possible risks of insufficient use without experience and enough training.

Maj. Gen. Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Criminal Investigation Dept. of Dubai Police, stated that all those who have such technology and devices should be careful not to underestimate the power generated by them. He also called on the specialized companies to set up warnings for their users. With the need for periodic maintenance by the company.

Colonel Ahmad Humaid Al Marri, Director of Crime Scene Department at the Dubai Police Criminal Evidence Department also stated in a press statement that the whole world is moving towards renewable solar energy, whether individuals or governments because it has several advantages, such as reducing fuel combustion, being environmentally friendly while low in cost. However, individuals shouldn’t use them without training and konwing the risks that may result from poor operation, pointing out that the first incident of death from the solar panels was investigated by Dubai Police recently, where an Asian man, in his forties, who owned a caravan for trips in Jebel Ali area asked a company to install solar panels for his caravan in order to operate the cooling systems of the caravan. The company installed two panels to generate solar energy above the surface of the caravan during the day and store energy through batteries overnight, and it was found that the installation contract did not include training the beneficiary or placing any precautions on use.

In details, Col. Ahmed Al-Marri said that on May 16 of this year, a report was received in Jebel Ali police station stating that a person seemed to have fallen on his face in front of a caravan.

Al-Marri pointed out that it appeared to the crime scene team that the deceased was trying to address a problem in the connections of the solar panels without attention to the need to close the power capacitor, forensic reports confirmed that the death was caused by electric shock which started from his hand and led to heart failure immediately.