A two-year-old boy was electrocuted after wrapping an extension cable around his neck while playing.

The youngster Thanawat Khontagune, nicknamed Songkran, was at home with his brother and grandmother in Buriram province, Thailand, on May 2 when he grabbed the extension wire which was still plugged into a socket.

His grandmother, Jit Khontagune, 58, shouted for him to let go of the cable, but it was too late as the boy fell to the ground convulsing when he was zapped by the deadly electric current.

Horrified Jit ran to unplug the extension and untangle her unconscious grandson from the mess of cables while she called for help.

She rushed Thanawat to the Health Promotion Hospital, but due to the severity of his wounds, he had to be transferred to the Nang Long Hospital. Despite the doctors' efforts, the toddler later succumbed to his injuries.

Jit and her family were devastated by Songkran's death, saying he was a well-behaved child unlike others of his age.

The bereaved grandmother said: 'I usually look after Songkran and his older seven-year-old brother. On the day of the incident, they were sitting on the bamboo tables where he was playing. Then, he grabbed an extension cable which was connected to an electric fan, and put it around his neck.

'I screamed and told him not to do that since it was dangerous, but he was electrocuted. In the end, I couldn't save my grandson's life.'

Police said the death was an accident and they are not investigating it further.

Lieutenant Colonel Yuttana Traithip said: 'The relatives of the deceased child have been interviewed and police are satisfied that this was an accident.'