Two die of electrocution on way back from Utsav

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Two men died of electrocution when a live wire fell on a tractor carrying a palanquin while they were returning from a religious procession near Electronic City in the early hours of Sunday.

The deceased were identified as Ranganath, 30, and Hari Babu, 25.

According to the jurisdictional police, the incident occurred around 5 am when they were returning on a palanquin after attending a religious procession near Hebbagodi on Saturday night.

"An electric wire fell on the palanquin and Hari Babu tried to remove it with a wooden stick. As it had rained the previous night, the stick was wet and even the wire was not completely dry. Hence, he suffered an electric shock. Ranganath tried to help him but got electrocuted too," a police official said.

The tractor in which they were carrying the palanquina also caught fire, which was later extinguished by officials of the Fire and Emergency Services Department.

A BESCOM employee said while clearance was provided for the palanquins to pass on one route, the one involved in the accident took an alternative route because of a traffic jam.

"Two electric feeders belonging to Hebbagodi and Electronics City subdivision were involved in the accident," the BESCOM employee said and clarified that the electrocution occurred because the live wire touched the wet wooden stick and that the conductor did not snap.