Death toll in Hyderabad rath yatra tragedy rises to six (Ld)

Hyderabad, Aug 18 (IANS) The death toll due to electrocution during the Sri Krishna Shobha Yatra in Hyderabad rose to six with one of the injured succumbing at a hospital on Monday.

The incident occurred at Gokulnagar in Ramanthapur, past midnight, when the Rath came into contact with an electric wire. The yatra was being taken as part of the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations.

Four others were injured, and one of them, identified as Ganesh, succumbed while undergoing treatment at Osmania Hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Krishna (21), Rudra Vikas (39), Rajendra Reddy (45), Srikant Reddy (35) and Suresh Yadav (34).

Meanwhile, Minister for Information Technology and Industries D. Sridhar Babu announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

He announced that the government would bear the expenditure for the treatment of the injured.

In a statement posted on X, he said he was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident.

He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and assured them that the government will stand by them and extend every possible support during this difficult time.

“The incident is extremely unfortunate, and directions have been issued to the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough and comprehensive inquiry. Anyone responsible for negligence or lapses must be held accountable and strict action will follow accordingly,” he said.

"Moving forward, officials have been instructed to pay special attention to safety standards at all public gatherings to prevent such tragedies from recurring. The injured are being provided with the best possible medical care and regular updates on their condition are being closely monitored, with their speedy recovery remaining a top priority," he added in his post.

The Minister said the District Collector would conduct a probe into the incident, and after the receipt of the report, action would be taken against those found negligent.

Musharraf Ali Faruqui, Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL), visited the accident site and spoke to locals and eye-witnesses.

He told the media that a TV cable conductor came into contact with an electric wire, and when the Rath touched the TV cable conductor, it resulted in the tragedy. He promised a thorough enquiry and action against those found negligent.

Earlier, relatives of the deceased staged a protest demanding justice for their families. Police tried to stop them when they were heading towards the Warangal highway.

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy said the tragic incident deeply saddened him. He expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.

He urged the authorities and festival organisers to take appropriate precautions to prevent such accidents in the future and requested the state government to support the affected families.

--IANS

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