Khunti (Jharkhand), July 20 (IANS) Two school students were killed and seven others suffered burn injuries after a chariot came in contact with a high-tension power line during the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Torpa area of Jharkhand’s Khunti district on Monday, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old Chandan Kumar and 17-year-old Tijeshwar Gop, both students of Shrihari Plus Two School in Torpa.
The injured include Kamlesh Gop (20), Rupesh Kumar Singh (17), Armaan Alam (16), Pankaj Ram (17), Giriraj Yadav (17), Suje Lohra (13), and Nilay Ekka (17). Some of them are reportedly in serious condition and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
According to eyewitnesses, a large number of devotees were pulling the chariot during the procession when its upper iron structure came into contact with an overhead high-voltage electricity line. The impact instantly electrified the chariot, leaving several students standing nearby severely injured.
Panic broke out at the site following the accident. Local residents immediately ensured that the power supply was disconnected and rushed the injured to Torpa Hospital. Two critically injured students were later referred to Khunti Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the students’ presence in the procession. While local residents said the students were participating in the Rath Yatra during their lunch break, some claimed they had been invited to help pull the chariot. Others maintained that they joined the procession voluntarily along with other devotees. No official confirmation has yet been issued on the matter
The tragedy drew large crowds to the hospital premises, where family members of the victims were inconsolable. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over Torpa and nearby villages.
The accident has also raised questions over safety arrangements for the Rath Yatra. Residents have demanded to know why adequate precautions were not taken before moving the chariot beneath overhead power lines and how school students became part of the procession without proper safeguards.
Senior police and administrative officials have reached the spot and are assessing the situation.
–IANS
