Man who lost both hands in accident now works as driver

Avinash Rathod, who was electrocuted while removing a pipe stuck near a transformer at a construction site, lost both hands after doctors said amputation was unavoidable. Sharing his account on Instagram handle 'mr_rathod_13_19', he said his wife was four months pregnant at the time. He spent nearly a month bedridden before recovering with his wife's encouragement, and now works as a driver supporting his family. He also takes part in annual Ganpati celebrations. "I lost my hands that day, but I never lost my will to live," he said.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 18 Sept 2026, 10:21 pm IST

Source

Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗

#human interest#disability#accident survivor#instagram#family

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Avinash Rathod was electrocuted while removing a pipe stuck near a transformer at a construction site and both his hands were amputated. — Attributed to Rathod's own account shared on Instagram; no hospital, employer or official source cited.
His wife was four months pregnant with their son at the time of the accident. — Stated by Rathod in the source; no documentary corroboration.
He spent nearly a month unable to get out of bed before resuming exercise and later work. — Self-reported timeline appearing in the source; internally consistent.
He now works as a driver and supports his family. — Direct quote from Rathod; not independently verified in the source.
He takes part in Ganpati celebrations every year, helping with cleaning and other chores. — Attributed to Rathod; no third-party confirmation.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

This is not a political story — it is a personal account of survival. Yet read through a political lens, what the story does not mention speaks loudest: an electrocution at a construction site touches three policy areas — worker safety, accident compensation and disability welfare. The story records no employer liability, no compensation and no state assistance; it attributes the recovery almost entirely to family support and his wife's encouragement. Stories like this usually get celebrated as individual grit, and only rarely convert into a policy conversation.

The story carries no partisan conflict, but it indirectly raises the policy question of safety for informal and construction sector workers.
Nothing is stated about employer responsibility, compensation, insurance or government aid — that silence is the biggest gap here.
By crediting recovery to family support alone, the account could prompt questions about last-mile delivery of disability welfare schemes.
When such accounts go viral on social media, a common response is local representatives or leaders announcing help or offering public recognition.
Politically these are low-risk, high-sympathy stories — since they embarrass no side, leaders across parties can comfortably extend support.

What to watch — Watch whether the story's reach draws offers of assistance from local leaders, or any wider discussion on electrical safety at construction sites and enforcement of workers' compensation.

The story does not establish who was responsible for the accident, whether any compensation was paid, or whether any employer or government action followed — so no policy failure can be concluded from it.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Avinash Rathod, a construction worker, was electrocuted while trying to remove a pipe stuck near a transformer at a work site. Doctors said his hands could not be saved and both had to be amputated. At the time he had already lost his father at a young age and his wife was four months pregnant with their son. He shared his account of the accident and recovery on his Instagram handle 'mr_rathod_13_19', and today works as a driver and supports his family.

Key facts

Avinash Rathod was electrocuted at a construction site while removing a pipe stuck near a transformer; both hands were amputated as doctors said they could not be saved.
He shared his account on Instagram through the handle 'mr_rathod_13_19'.
His wife was four months pregnant with their son at the time of the accident.
He had already lost his father at a young age before the accident.
He spent almost a month unable to get out of bed after the accident.
He later began exercising and recalled standing and walking on his own as the turning point: 'Main abhi bhi kuch kar sakta hoon.'
He now works as a driver and supports his family; the couple is raising their son together.
He takes part in Ganpati celebrations every year, helping with cleaning and other small chores.

Timeline

Before the accidentRathod loses his father at a young age; works at a construction site.
Day of the accidentHe is electrocuted while removing a pipe stuck near a transformer and is rushed to hospital; doctors amputate both hands.
At the time of the accidentHis wife is four months pregnant with their son.
Almost a month after the accidentHe remains unable to get out of bed; his wife encourages him, saying 'Tension mat lo, sab theek ho jayega.'
After weeks in bedHe begins exercising, stands and walks on his own for the first time.
TodayHe works as a driver, supports his family, raises his son and participates in annual Ganpati celebrations.

Who has a stake

Avinash Rathod — Lost both hands in an electrocution accident; had to relearn everyday tasks and rebuild a livelihood as a driver.
Rathod's wife — Four months pregnant at the time of the accident; became his main source of encouragement and co-parent of their son.
Rathod's son and family — Depend on his earnings as a driver; his ability to work determines household security.
Doctors and hospital staff — Performed the amputation and supported his long recovery process.
Construction site workers generally — Face electrocution and other on-site hazards of the kind that caused this accident (source does not detail safety measures).
His local Ganpati festival community — He remains connected to the community, helping with cleaning and chores during the annual festival.

Why it matters

Rathod's account puts a human face on the risks construction workers run at unsafe sites and on the long, largely unsupported road back to work after a disabling injury. It also shows how family support, faith and small physical milestones shaped his return to earning as a driver. The source is a personal testimony, not a policy document, so it raises questions about workplace safety and rehabilitation rather than answering them.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Avinash Rathod lost both hands after being electrocuted near a transformer at a construction site; doctors said amputation was unavoidable.
He shared his story on the Instagram handle 'mr_rathod_13_19'.
His wife was four months pregnant with their son when the accident occurred.
He was bedridden for almost a month before starting to exercise and walk again.
He currently works as a driver and participates in annual Ganpati celebrations.
Statutory compensation, disability certification or rehabilitation support details are not stated in the source.

Mains framing

Rathod's case illustrates the intersection of occupational hazard and disability in India's informal construction workforce: a single moment of contact with a live transformer at a work site cost him both hands and, potentially, his family's only livelihood, at a point when his wife was four months pregnant. The immediate consequences were medical (amputation, a month bedridden) and psychological (fear about his family's future); recovery came mainly from personal and family resources rather than any institutional support described in the source. His re-entry into work as a driver shows that persons with severe physical disability can return to productive employment when they regain mobility and confidence, but it also underlines the gaps this account leaves open: safety protocols around energised equipment at construction sites, prompt emergency response, compensation, assistive devices, skill retraining and inclusive employment. A way forward suggested by the story's logic, and not by any policy claim in the source, is stronger enforcement of electrical safety at work sites, accessible rehabilitation after amputation, and workplace practices that let injured workers re-enter the labour market with dignity.

Key terms

Electrocution: Severe injury caused by electric current passing through the body; here it occurred near a transformer at a construction site.
Amputation: Surgical removal of a limb when it cannot be saved; both of Rathod's hands were amputated.
Transformer: Electrical equipment carrying high-voltage current; the pipe Rathod was removing was stuck near one.
Ganpati celebrations: Annual festival for Lord Ganesha (Bappa) in which Rathod helps with cleaning and small chores every year.
mr_rathod_13_19: Rathod's Instagram handle, where he narrated his accident and recovery.

Practice questions

Discuss the occupational safety risks faced by workers in India's construction sector, using the case of a worker electrocuted near a transformer as illustration.
What support systems are needed to help a worker who has suffered a disabling injury return to employment? Discuss with reference to rehabilitation and inclusive workplaces.
Personal testimonies shared on social media increasingly shape public understanding of disability. Examine their value and limitations as evidence for policymaking.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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