5 Electrocuted As Ratham Comes In Contact With Live Wire

Hyderabad:Five people were killed and six injured when a makeshift chariot carrying a Lord Krishna idol came in contact with a live power wire during a procession in Ramanthapur early on Monday. Locals blamed power officials for the tragedy and called for a bandh in Ramanthapur on Tuesday.

The mishap occurred when a local Yadava Sangham undertook the Sri Krishna Shobha Yatra to mark the conclusion of the Janmashtami celebrations. After passing through several colonies, the procession was about to end when the four-wheeler, which was pulling the chariot, ran out of fuel, forcing a dozen youngsters to volunteer to keep the chariot moving.

The chariot came in contact with a dangling television cable wire that had snapped earlier and had fallen on a power transmission line, resulting in the tragedy.

The injured were taken to a nearby private hospital on an auto trolley, where doctors declared five of them dead. One critically injured person was shifted to Osmania Hospital, while the others were treated locally.

Those who held the trailer tightly died instantly, while those with a loose grip survived with injuries.

The deceased were identified as Krishna alias Diamond Yadav (21), Srikanth Reddy (35), Suresh Yadav (34), Rudra Vikas (39), and Rajendra Reddy (45), all residents of Old Ramanthapur.

Industries and IT minister D. Sridhar Babu, who met the bereaved families at Gandhi Hospital mortuary, announced an ex gratia payment of `5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. He ordered a detailed inquiry under the supervision of the district collector, and promised to take strict action against those found responsible. He said the government will bear the entire medical expenses of the injured.

Locals blamed TG Southern Power Discom Corporation Ltd for allowing the cable menace to persist and called for a bandh in Ramanthapur on Tuesday.

“The procession started around 8 pm on Sunday from the Yadava Sangham community hall and continued till the early hours. The incident occurred when it was about to conclude on its return to the hall,” said Malkajgiri ACP S. Chakrapani.

He said the mishap occurred when a hanging cable wire came in contact with both power lines and the chariot. A case under Section 194 of the BNSS dealing with death under suspicious circumstances had been registered, and an investigation will be launched to fix responsibility.

According to eyewitnesses, it was raining continuously, and the wet ground worsened the situation. “The idol was placed on a trailer attached to a jeep. When the jeep ran out of diesel, we detached the trailer and started pushing it towards the Yadava Sangham,” Naresh Yadav told Deccan Chronicle. He narrowly escaped as he took a break after pushing the trailer a few metres.

About 16 people were pushing the trailer when the mishap occurred. “There was commotion as people started falling to the ground. We tried CPR on some who remained motionless. When there was no response, we shifted them on the trolley,” said another eyewitness.

A pall of gloom descended on Ramanthapur, Old Ramanthapur, RTC Colony, and Gokulnagar, where the deceased lived.

Suresh Yadav, one of the victims, was a resident of Endowment Colony and had married just two years ago. His wife, in a state of shock, clutched their five-month-old daughter, who cried inconsolably, adding to the family’s grief.

The scene was equally heartbreaking at the home of Krishna, who was popularly known as Diamond Yadav. His mother wailed, “Diamond… Diamond… yekkadunnav beta (where are you, son),” staring at his photograph, while his father, Sangham president P. Ravi Yadav, stood helplessly despite being present at the spot.

Krishna had gone home shortly before the mishap, as he was tired, but returned with his parents. On noticing that the trailer had stopped, he jumped in to help push it, only to meet his tragic end.

His friends Vinay Kumar, Madhu, and others recalled in shock: “He was into the decorations business. For this event too, he handled all the decorations. He was the only son, taking care of his parents. His father is a milk supplier, and they were happy because Diamond was responsible and took care of the house. He had many friends who all liked him. He was a loving person.”

Nand Kishore Yadav, an adviser of the Yadava Sangham, which organised the procession, said, “We have been organising the shobha yatra for the past 15 years on Gokulastami. On the first day, rituals and breaking of the Utti take place, and on the second, a band and procession are held. Youth participation has always been high in the event as they invite their friends to dance to the beat. Everything was going smoothly this year, and the procession had almost ended earlier than usual. But just a few metres before completion, this tragedy struck.”