Jahden Nelson, a father of three young children, was dismantling scaffolding when a steel pole he was holding hit a low power line last Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.

A dad lost both his arms after suffering a huge electric shock while working on a construction site.

Jahden Nelson, a father of three young children, was dismantling scaffolding when a steel pole he was holding hit a low power line last Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.

A high-voltage current sent a fireball through the scaffolding and into the 28-year-old’s body – leaving him in intensive care with horrific burns to his arms as well as internal injuries.

A witness said he heard a loud explosion, his mother Toni Paikea said.

Toni said: “The pole hit the power line and she heard a big bang and saw a big ball of fire go under the scaffolding.

“Then [Jahden] collapsed. I don’t know how many volts are crossing these lines.

“It was like an atomic bomb exploding in his body. It went through one arm, through the other arm and straight through his leg and thigh.”

Jahden’s cousin held him in his arms when an ambulance was called.

There are now questions about why the craftsmen were working under live wires and whether proper health and safety procedures had been followed.

Jahden, an experienced scaffolder who started work aged 16, suffered a heart attack and burns to 25-35% of his body, as well as serious internal injuries, the New Zealand Herald reports.

He was rushed to Auckland Hospital for immediate surgery where he was placed in intensive care.

Days later, his mother had to make the agonizing decision to amputate her right arm, before doctors continued to amputate her left for fear of life-threatening infection.

Doctors now say the next few weeks will be crucial to find out if Jahden lives – with the prospect of facing years of rehabilitation.

His mother and sister have been watching over the hospital since the accident.

Due to the risk of infection, only one visitor at a time is allowed in their room. Jahden’s former girlfriend and mother of his children alternates with Toni at her son’s bedside.

Toni said the family have been inundated with messages of support, some of whom have provided food and are also sleeping in hospital cars “to show their love and gratitude for my son”.