At least 15 people were killed after downed power lines electrified a bridge in northern India on Tuesday night, according to multiple reports citing local police.
A transformer along the Alaknanda River exploded, downing nearby power lines onto a bridge in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, CBS News reported, citing police. Officials responding to the scene found 22 individuals who had been electrocuted and “suffered severe injuries,” district police superintendent Pramendra Dobhal said, according to the outlet. Of the 22 victims, only seven survived their injuries.
At least 15 people were fatally electrocuted Tuesday night on a bridge in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. https://t.co/PRhH0ANlmK
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 19, 2023
“We got a call from the village that a watchman had died of electrocution. When the police went to check they found that 21 people had been electrocuted and severely injured. Fifteen people died in hospital and the rest are critical,” Dhobal said, according to the BBC. (RELATED: Two Electrocuted To Death From Downed Power Lines In Florida)
Though the incident took place Tuesday evening, police were not notified until Wednesday morning, Dhobal added.
“So painful! Deeply saddened by the accident in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. Along with expressing my deepest condolences to the bereaved families, I wish speedy recovery to all the injured. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in all possible help to the victims,” Uttarakhand state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted, according to a Google translation.
While officials have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, the tragedy is just the latest the region has faced recently as heavy rains have caused significant flooding and landslides that have claimed the lives of nearly 100 people, CBS reported.
