UNB, New Delhi :
Eleven people, including two children, died of electrocution while 15 others sustained burn injuries when a temple chariot they were riding on touched a high-tension wire in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu early on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The tragedy occurred at Kalimedu in the state’s Thanjavur district, some 370km from Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai.
“Of the deceased, two were children, while the injured are being treated at hospital. A case has been registered in the matter and investigation is underway,” V Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu’s inspector general of police, told the local media.
Local TV channels aired a video of the tragedy in which the chariot can be seen completely gutted in fire after coming into contact with the power transmission line. The video has gone viral on social media.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the deaths, saying he was “deeply pained”, and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the bereaved families.
