Murrarie man electrocuted: GoFundMe set up for Good Samaritan killed by powerlines in Brisbane

A Good Samaritan who was fatally electrocuted by fallen power lines as he stopped his car to remove a tree branch from a road has been identified.

Bala Naga Manendra Kopparthi, 30, was driving in Murrarie in Brisbane's east on Friday evening as a fierce storm swept through the city, bringing heavy rain, hail and gale-force winds of over 160km/h.

The man, known as Manendra, had stopped on the side of the road to remove a large tree branch – so other cars wouldn't hit him – but was unaware that he had also knocked down power lines in the process.

CCTV footage from a nearby business that happened to be facing the road captured Manendra's last moments.

Another nearby business had complained that trees hanging over power lines had been a hazard for years.

“(The trees) don't have a lot of good roots and there's always a lot of debris falling through here,” the business owner said. The courier post.

“When the wind picks up, branches fall down (and) many of these branches are hollow.”

Emergency services were called to Murarrie Road just after 5pm to reports an unconscious man had been found near fallen power lines.

Police said when they arrived on the scene, the 30-year-old was found with life-threatening injuries and he died shortly afterwards.

a GoFundMe has now been founded by Manendra's loved ones.

“He was a bundle of warmth, kindness and joy who touched the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know them,” the fundraiser said.

The driver had stopped to clear a tree branch from the road, but he had taken electrical lines with him

'His departure has left an irreplaceable void, which reflects the fragility of life itself.'

The GoFundMe has raised over $43,000 to date, which will benefit Manendra's family and funeral arrangements.

Power lines on the street can carry a voltage of more than 1000 volts and are usually bare wires without insulation, making them extremely dangerous if knocked over.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said it was “tragic” and offered his condolences to Manendra's family.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all the SES and first responders who helped during last night's storm. They make a huge difference every time they put on those uniforms and we are grateful,” he added.

Energex also released a statement saying: 'We will now leave it to the police and authorities to investigate exactly what happened here and we will fully support their investigation where necessary.'

“Any incident like this is tragic, and the fact that it is so close to Christmas makes it even more tragic.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the family and everyone involved in this terrible incident.”

CCTV footage shows the man driving down the street, then stopping and getting out of his car to clear a tree branch from the road

Office meteorologist Shane Kennedy said Friday's destructive winds came out of left field.

“The Bureau had identified the system as a potential thunderstorm, but we certainly did not expect it to cause so much destruction,” he said.

'A Category 3 tropical cyclone needs to reach winds of 165 km/h and the winds in Archerfield are reaching 169 km/h, so we have passed that threshold.

“It's certainly stronger than normal, it's a pretty intense storm.”