Gorakhpur (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) Two minor girls among three people of a family were burnt alive after coming in contact with a high-tension wire here on Sunday, police said.
Shivraj Nishad (27), his daughter Aditi (2) and niece Anu (9) were riding on a motorcycle when an 11,000-volt power line snapped and fell on them, they said.
All three, along with the vehicle, immediately caught fire. By the time locals rushed to rescue them, the three family members were burnt alive, they said.
The three were returning home from Sonbarsa market after grocery shopping when the high-tension wire snapped and fell on them as they turned towards the canal road leading to Sardarnagar.
Ashutosh Srivastava, Chief Engineer of the Electricity Department, stated that preliminary investigations suggest a monkey may have jumped on the wire, causing it to snap and fall.
An inquiry has been ordered to determine why the line did not trip after the wire broke, he said.
Officials from the power corporation indicated that high-tension wires typically trip upon touching the ground. However, in this case, the wire may have landed on the bike or a person, causing the automatic tripping mechanism to fail.
Shambhu Kumar, Managing Director of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam, assured financial aid of Rs 5 lakh each to the victims’ families by Monday.
A two-member team, including a superintending engineer and an executive engineer, will investigate the incident and submit a report within 48 hours to fix accountability. PTI COR NAV NB NB
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