M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Feb 1: Three people were killed when a live overhead electric wire fell on them today.
The incident occurred at Lehar Banjari under the Untari Road police station. The place of occurrence is more than 55 kilometers away from Daltonganj.
Shiv Kumar, officer in charge of the Untari Road police station said the tragedy occurred past 12 in the day today.
The three were sitting on a village chabutra. All of the sudden the live wire fell on them and they died instantly before any medical help could reach them.
The victims were identified as Bootan Chowdhury (45), Suresh Chowdhury (60) and Kushwar Chowdhury (25). They were the residents of Mallah Toli, barely one kilometre away from the Untari Road police station.
Their post mortem will be conducted later today in MMCH Daltonganj.
General Manager of electricity in Daltonganj Sanjay Kumar said, “We have ordered an inquiry into this incident. It is important for us to find out what really happened and how.”
There are enterprising people who put in their own wire to operate pumps for watering the standing crops and bare fields or fields with grains.
The GM said there are instances when people use electricity to fish in the running water. It is simply dangerous and extremely illegal.
The state government gives Rs. 2 lakhs as ex-gratia relief to the next of kin of the victims of electrocution.
Sources said that the mood of the local public is against the electricity department and its officials. Police officer Shiv Kumar said he is trying to calm down the locals.
