Seven people, including two children, were electrocuted while nearly 16 others were injured as a rath (chariot) of Lord Jagannath came in contact with a high-tension wire in Tripura’s Unakoti district on Wednesday.
The took place at around 4.30 pm in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat during the ‘Ulta Rath Yatra’ or return car festival, which is the ‘return’ journey of the Hindu god Jagannath and his two siblings a week after the annual Rath Yatra festival, organised by ISKCON, PTI reported.
The chariot was made of iron and was heavily decorated. When it came into contact with an overhead electric wire, it caused a surge of electricity, killing six on the spot while one person died on the way to the hospital.
Also Read: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad shot at in Saharanpur: UP Police
Parts of the Rath immediately caught fire and people fell on the road with their bodies on flame. Fire Services reached the spot, and brought the situation under control, PTI reported.
Among the deceased, there were two children and three women, police said. The injured persons were initially taken to the Kailashahar and Kumarghat hospitals in the district, and later some of them were sent to the GB Pant Hospital in Agartala as their conditions were critical.
Also Read: ‘Sanatani bulldozer’ leads Lord Jagannath rath yatra in Gujarat’s Rajkot
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was saddening. “The mishap during the Ulta Rath Yatra at Kumarghat is saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tweeted, quoting him.
An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh was announced from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the mishap.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, accompanied by state minister Tinku Roy, went to Kumarghat in the night by train, and met the injured persons.
“The state government will give Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 2.5 lakh to persons who suffered more than 60 percent burn injuries. People whose injuries are not that severe will be given Rs 74,000. This will be in addition to the ex-gratia announced by the prime minister,” Manik Saha was quoted as saying by PTI.
State Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said he has directed the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd to probe the incident, and submit a report immediately.