KURNOOL : At least 17 children sustained injuries after they were electrocuted during Ugadi celebrations at Chinna Tekuru village in Kalluru mandal around 7 am on Thursday.
A procession began around 11.30 pm on Wednesday near Uruvakili temple in the middle of the village and was scheduled to reach Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple located on the outskirts of the village. As the procession was reaching the destination, majority of elders, who walked along the chariot throughout the night, went home to rest and freshen up. Meanwhile, the children climbed onto the chariot. A live wire came in contact with the chariot. As a result, 17 kids suffered an electrical shock, with some even falling to the ground, said police.
“The children were shifted to Kurnool GGH. All the children are aged between 13 and 15 years old. Among them, Gowtham, Ramu, Janardhan, Anantaiah, and Akhilesh suffered 15 to 20% burns. All the kids are out of danger,” said doctors. A case has been registered, SI Naresh said.
Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, Nandyal TDP MP candidate Dr Byreddy Shabari, Panyam TDP MLA candidate Gouru Charitha, Kodumur YSRC MLA candidate Dr Adimulapu Satish, and others visited the hospital and consoled the victims’ families.