The danger of electrical accidents when erecting the Tet New Year pole.
Erecting the New Year's pole is a beautiful custom in the traditional cultural life of the Vietnamese people every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes around. However, recent years have shown that erecting the New Year's pole without ensuring a safe distance from power lines poses many serious accident risks.
Severe burns sustained while erecting a New Year's pole.
On the afternoon of February 1, 2026, while erecting a New Year's pole in front of their house to prepare for Tet (Vietnamese New Year), Mrs. NTH and her husband, residing in Thanh Tien village, Nhan Hoa commune, Nghe An province, unfortunately suffered a serious accident. A fresh bamboo pole, approximately 10 meters long, used for the pole, became entangled in a 35kV medium-voltage power line running through the residential area.
A high-voltage electrical current struck the couple, causing severe burns and requiring emergency hospitalization in critical condition. According to information from the Nhan Hoa commune authorities, during the erection of the bamboo pole, due to a lack of careful observation of the safe distance from the power lines, the top of the bamboo pole came close to and touched the high-voltage power line.
As a result, both husband and wife suffered burns, with the wife sustaining third, fourth, and fifth-degree electrical burns in multiple areas such as her chest, shoulders, and arms. She had to be transferred to a provincial hospital for intensive treatment and is now facing the risk of having her right forearm amputated to save her life.
In fact, this is not an uncommon occurrence. For many years, every Tet holiday, Nghe An province has recorded cases of people being electrocuted while erecting the Tet pole. There was even a fatality in the former Quy Hop district in 2021.
The New Year's pole is a traditional custom during the Lunar New Year, which has been restored and maintained in recent years in many localities, not only in mountainous and rural areas, but also in densely populated communes and urban areas.
Nowadays, many families erect tall New Year's poles, using metal materials and decorating them with electrical devices, believing that the taller, brighter, and more eye-catching the pole, the more beautiful it is, representing prosperity and abundance. However, this actually increases the risk of accidents when placed near power lines, especially in the context of an increasingly dense power grid with many medium and high-voltage lines running through residential areas.
Violations of power grid safety corridors remain common.
Observations in many localities throughout the province show that it is not uncommon to see poles erected near overhead power lines. Many of these poles are tens of meters high, with the tops still covered in bamboo leaves and decorated with additional ornaments, increasing the contact area and the risk of electrical discharge in strong winds.
In the late-year weather conditions, which often include drizzle, fog, and strong winds, tall New Year's poles with wide canopies easily sway, posing a potential risk of electrical discharge when in contact with power lines.
In densely populated areas, due to limited space, many households place their New Year's poles close to the roadside, tying them to iron gates, corrugated iron roofs, metal stakes, or even utility poles, further increasing the danger in case of an accident.
In response to this situation, local authorities have proactively implemented various measures to raise awareness and remind people to comply with regulations on electrical safety.
Mr. Le The Hieu, Vice Chairman of the Minh Chau Commune People's Committee, said that decorating New Year's poles is very common among the people. To ensure electrical safety, the local government has proactively developed a plan to disseminate information to each village and hamlet through the local broadcasting system and community meetings, while also conducting on-site inspections and promptly reminding people not to erect New Year's poles under power lines or near transformer stations.
In addition, the local authorities are coordinating with the power sector to review high-risk areas and guide people to comply with regulations on the safety protection corridor for the power grid.
According to the power industry, violations of the power grid safety corridor not only threaten people's lives but also risk causing incidents and disruptions to power supply during Tet (Lunar New Year). In fact, many power outages in recent years have stemmed from hanging or tying metal decorations, firing firecrackers, or throwing foreign objects onto power lines and substations.
Nghe An Power Company advises local authorities and residents to strictly comply with regulations on the safety corridor of the power grid, and not to hang, tie, or use decorative objects that pose a risk of electrical accidents.
Before erecting the New Year's pole, people need to carefully observe the surrounding power lines, ensuring a safe distance as required. In case of an electrical accident, absolutely do not rush in to rescue people before the power source is switched off; use insulated materials and quickly call professional emergency and rescue services.
From the accidents that have occurred over the years, especially the recent incident in Nhan Hoa commune, it is clear that preserving the custom of erecting the New Year's pole must be closely linked to ensuring safety. Only when people raise their awareness of complying with the law, along with the involvement of local authorities and the electricity sector, will the traditional Tet holiday truly be complete, peaceful, and in line with the beautiful meaning of the New Year's pole.
