BENGALURU: Two women, one of them pregnant, died on the spot when an electric pole collapsed on them on Suddaguntepalya main road in Baiyappanahalli police limits on Monday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Sumati, 35, and Soni Kumari, 35, residents of Suddaguntepalya. Sumati, who hailed from Tamil Nadu, worked as a housekeeper, and Kumari from Bihar was a housewife.
Soni was four-month pregnant and had two children. Sumati lived with her husband and two children. The incident occurred when Sumati and Soni were returning home along with their children from tuition classes around 6.30 pm.
Wires from the electric pole got entangled with an excavator engaged in Suddaguntepalya main road repair work. Raj Kumar alias Raju, 29, the driver of the excavator, was wearing earphones and could not hear the screams of the people to stop his vehicle.
The electric pole fell on the two women when the excavator dragged the wires further. Their children escaped with minor injuries as they were walking a few yards away from them. Police arrested Raj Kumar and seized his vehicle.
According to the police, the excavator was engaged to dig and fill trenches as part of the road repair work. The police have registered a case of death due to negligence against the excavator driver.