Hyderabad: Five dead by electrocution during Sri Krishna Janmashtami chariot procession

Hyderabad:  Five people have been killed by electrocution during a chariot procession held as a part of Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Gokul nagar, Ramanthapur area of the city on Sunday night, tv9 telugu reported.

Four others have been injured after the chariot accidentally came into contact with a high-tension power line during the procession. The deceased devotees have been identified as Krishna, 21, Srikanth Reddy, 35, Suresh Yadav, 34, Rudra Vikas, 39, Rajendra Reddy, 45, all of whom were residents of Old Ramanthapur.

They were moving towards the local Sri Krishna temple from their neighbourhood. When they were on the way to the temple, their vehicle broke down. They decided to carry the chariot manually when the tragedy occurred, about 200 metres away from the temple, Uppal Police said.

Telangana I-T Minister D Sridhar Babu announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the families of the deceased. “The government will bear the medical expenses of the injured. This incident is very sad. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.” He also ordered an investigation into the incident and asked officials to pay special attention to public safety during public gatherings.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, where the five were declared dead on arrival. It is reported that Union Minister Kishan Reddy's security personnel Srinivas is also among the injured.

Their bodies have been moved to Gandhi Hospital for autopsy. A case has been registered and investigation is underway.