Eleven people including two children have died in India after being electrocuted as their truck, decorated as a temple chariot, touched an overhead power transmission wire during a Hindu festival procession in the southern part of the Asian country.
According to a report by Aljazeera, citing local media reports, at least 15 people were injured in the incident.
The deaths occurred early on Wednesday when the temple chariot procession was underway in Tamil Nadu state’s Thanjavur district, 340km (210 miles) south of the state capital Chennai, police said.
The NDTV news channel said the truck, crowded with devotees, also caught fire by the electric spark.
The procession was organised by a local Hindu temple.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply pained by the mishap.
“My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I hope that the injured recover soon,” his office posted on Twitter.
Tamil Nadu state’s Chief Minister M.K Stalin also expressed his condolences and announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6,524) each to the families of those who were killed in the incident.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com