Two Edison Workers Electrocuted

Two men were hospitalized in critical condition after striking high-voltage underground cables on a Southern California Edison project in Irvine, authorities said today.

The victims, in their mid-20s, were sub-contractors using jackhammers in an excavation near the intersection of Michelson Drive and Harvard Avenue at 10:15 p.m. Friday, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

The jackhammers contacted a high voltage line and the men suffered severe electric shock, Concialdi said.

Both were burned on their hands and faces, he said.

The state division of occupational safety and health (CalOSHA) will be investigating the accident, Concialdi said.

-City News Service