UP: Three Electrocuted To Death During Durga Immersion Procession In Gorakhpur; 9 Injured
The deceased were identified as Vicky (18), his brother Lucky (17) and cousin Chandan (21). Doctors at the BRD Medical College, where the injured were taken, declared the three youths dead.
Gorakhpur: Three youths -- two among them siblings -- died from electrocution, while nine were injured after a vehicle carrying a DJ console and sound system during a Durga idol immersion procession here came into contact with an 11,000-volt overhead power line, police said on Thursday.
The incident triggered anger among villagers, who blocked a road, alleging they had requested authorities to suspend power supply during the immersion procession, but electricity was not cut.
A junior engineer and two cops have been suspended in connection with the incident, while a lineman has been removed from service. A three-member committee has also been constituted to probe the matter, officials said.
The incident took place around 4.30 pm on Wednesday in Gulriha police station area.
The deceased were identified as Vicky (18), his brother Lucky (17) and cousin Chandan (21). Doctors at the BRD Medical College, where the injured were taken, declared the three youths dead.
According to police, the procession began from Chauhan Tola in Jungle Ayodhya Prasad village and was heading towards Kolhua Ghat. When it reached Rajhi crossing, a metal railing mounted atop the DJ system came in contact with an overhead high-tension wire, electrocuting 12 people on and near the vehicle.
District Magistrate Deepak Meena said all nine injured persons, including beat constable Dhananjay Pandey, are out of danger.
Following the incident, agitated residents blocked the Gorakhpur-Maharajganj four-lane road outside BRD Medical College around 6 pm, leading to a traffic jam stretching nearly a kilometre. More than 50 shops in the area shut amid rising tension, and two battalions of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) were deployed.
The district magistrate and senior superintendent of police reached the spot to pacify the protesters. The blockade was lifted around 7.40 pm after efforts by the administration.
Meena said a junior engineer and two policemen have been suspended, while a lineman has been removed from service in connection with the incident.
The district magistrate has constituted a three-member inquiry committee comprising the additional district magistrate (city), additional superintendent of police (city) and superintending engineer (rural electricity). The panel has been asked to submit its report within three days.
The victims' families have submitted a memorandum demanding action against electricity department officials and employees, as well as police personnel deployed during the procession. They sought suspension of officials and employees attached to the Madarhawa power substation and demanded a murder case be registered against those responsible.
The families also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for each deceased, a government job for one member of each bereaved family and Rs 50 lakh from the chief minister's relief fund for each injured.
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
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