7 including 2 children die by electrocution during Ulta Rath in Kumarghat

As many as seven devotees including two children were killed and 15 more injured when the chariot of ‘return Rath Yatra’ ISKCON temple struck with 33 KV high tension electric wire in the middle of national highway-8 in Kumarghat area of Unakoti district on Wednesday afternoon.

Police sources said that the "Ulto Rath" procession of the ISKCON temple of Kumarghat on Wednesday was organized in a big way in presence of thousands of devotees including children. When the ‘return Rath’  with Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Shubhadra started its journey and reached Kumarghat town hall area via SDM office, the iron made chariot with heavily decorated came into contact with an overhead electric wire, which  caused a surge of electricity and killing seven people and injured 15 more due to electrocution.

Sources said that those people were engaged with pulling off the chariot from the back side by pressing its iron made bars contacted with high tension electric shock and within seconds their bodies started burning. Amidst massive hue and cry over the pathetic scenes of the burning bodies in the middle of the road, few people boarded at the chariot started jumping from the top the chariot and escaped themselves from electric shock.

Within minutes, firefighters from Kumarghat station and a large number of police and security personnel rushed to the spot and with help of local people, all the injured persons were shifted to Kumarghat subdivision hospital.

Visiting doctors of the hospital declared brought dead to six persons, they were identified as Sima Paul (33) of Shibtali,  Sushmita Baishya (30) of Shib Mandir area, Rupak Das (40) , Soma Biswas (28),  Rohan Das (9) and Shan Malakar (9), all were residents of Kumarghat.

Among the injured 15 persons, after the conditions of nine persons deteriorated  were referred to Kailashahar district hospital and treatment of remaining injured devotees is presently going on at the hospitals of Kumarghat and Fatikroy.

Sources added that among the nine critically injured persons, six were shifted to GB Hospital in the evening and among them, one devotee succumbed due to his critical electric injuries. But, the name of the deceased person is yet to be identified.

After this tragic incident, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha left the capital city towards Kumarghat through a local train and after reaching the incident spots are reviewing the situation.