There has been a lot of talk recently about the hazards of electricity generators, transformers and high-voltage cables in causing cancer and physical disabilities among children, in addition to threats of electrocution when they play near the high-voltage transformers. The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) stressed that there is no clear evidence proving that electromagnetic fields alone cause cancer, but a number of citizens have demanded doing away with electricity poles and pylons, burying high-voltage cables and covering them with rubber and plastic to prevent any hazards. Fahd Al-Suwailim, a Saudi national, said, “The residents are living in fear that their children might get electrocuted when playing near electricity generators and switches.” He said that an electricity transformer in his area has remained open, without doors, and those in charge have not cared to set up fences around it. He demanded that the Saudi Electricity Company expedite erecting metal fences around high-voltage transformers. Another Saudi national said he lodged a complaint with SEC, asking it to remove the high-voltage electricity pole from the front of his home in Al-Wurood District. “The high-voltage pole is a grave danger to my children, especially since the electricity wires are very close to the ground,” the man said. Another Saudi resident spoke about an incident involving a youth, his sister and their housemaid, who all died after being electrocuted by high-voltage cables close to their home. The boy was on the roof of their house and trying to fix a pipe. He shouted to his sister to help him, the 16-year-old girl climbed to the roof and called the housemaid. While they were fixing the pipe, it leaned toward high-voltage lines near the roof and all three were electrocuted. Some citizens link cases of cancer in their families to the presence of high-voltage cables. Complaining about the harm he believes some of his family members suffered due to the cables, another citizen said, “Most of the people, including those living close to high-voltage cables are ignorant about their dangers. I demand that authorities concerned spread awareness in society.” The man said his mother died of complications related to stomach cancer. “She was treated in the Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh and even underwent chemotherapy,” he said. He said the second case is that of his 9-year-old daughter, who is suffering from a tumor in the left part of the pelvis. “She is undergoing chemotherapy and has been admitted to the intensive care unit several times,” he said. The man blames electromagnetic waves from high-voltage cables in their area for their health woes. Another Saudi national is linking his children's diseases, a hole in one daughter's heart and another daughter's curved back and bent legs, to high-voltage cables. In a statement, the SEC said the intensity of electromagnetic fields outside the high-voltage track is very low and much lower than magnetic fields resulting from the use of electrical appliances such as vacuum cleaners and hair dryers. The Saudi Electricity Company stressed that it is implementing international standards and specifications. __
