At least 11 people, including two children, are killed after being electrocuted when their truck, decorated as a temple car, touches the power transmission cable.
At least 11 people, including two children, were electrocuted to death when their truck, decorated as a temple chariot, touched an electrical power transmission cable during a Hindu festival procession in south India, police say.
The deaths occurred early Wednesday as the temple chariot procession was underway in Tamil Nadu state’s Thanjavur district, 340 kilometers (210 miles) south of the state capital Chennai, police said.
Three other people suffered burns and were hospitalized in Thanjavur, a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Local media reports said that at least 15 people were injured in the incident.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly observes 2 minutes of silence for the loss of 11 lives in the Thanjavur electrocution incident.
“I will visit Thanjavur to meet the families of the wounded and deceased,” announces CM MK Stalin at the Assembly pic.twitter.com/YUCXACCMlY
– ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2022
The NDTV news channel said the truck, full of devotees, also caught fire from the electrical spark.
The procession was organized by a local Hindu temple. Other details were not immediately available.
Thanjavur is a major center of Hindu religion, art and architecture. The area is known for its heritage temples.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply hurt by the mishap.”
“My thoughts are with the grieving families in this hour of grief. I hope the injured recover soon,” her office posted on Twitter.
Tamil Nadu State Chief Minister MK Stalin also expressed his condolences and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6,524) to each of the families of those killed in the incident.