Thanjavur: 11 killed after temple chariot hits high-tension cable during procession
The procession started around midnight, and the incident happened at 3 am when the dome and the decorations erected on the car touched a high-tension line.
FollowAs many as 11 people have been killed after coming into contact with a high-tension transmission line during a temple chariot procession in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur. Initial reports confirmed ten deaths, including two children who were part of the team that pulled the temple car. Seven of them died on the spot.
The incident took place at nearby Kalimedu when the Appar temple chariot procession was underway, the PTI news agency reported.
The temple car was negotiating a turn and faced some obstacles before being reversed when it came into contact with the overhead line. The people standing on the chariot were thrown in the impact, PTI said.
The people standing on the chariot were thrown into the impact. Three persons who had suffered injuries have been admitted to the Thanjavur Medical College. TV visuals showed the chariot completely damaged in the impact.
The procession started around midnight, and the incident happened at 3 am when the dome and the decorations erected on the car touched a high-tension line.
“The temple palanquin faced some obstacle while taking a turn when it came into contact with the overhead line,” officials said.
“A case has been registered in the matter and investigation is underway,” said V Balakrishnan, Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, Tiruchirappalli.
A senior police official told NDTV that normally power line along the temple car route is turned off to avoid any untoward incident.
“However, the palanquin was not tall enough to touch the high-transmission line, and thus the power supply was not turned off this time. But it seems the decorative structure increased its height, and consequently, it came into contact with the live wire,” the official said.
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