RANIPET: A 20-year-old bus passenger, Agalya of Tirupattur, died early on Saturday after she was electrocuted by a sagging power line while alighting from the vehicle along the Arcot-Cheyyar Road.
The woman was on a pilgrimage trip to Melmaruvathur.
According to official sources, the private bus carrying Agalya and other pilgrims made a stop around 5 am for refreshments. Unbeknownst to the passengers, the bus had come into contact with a low-lying overhead power line. Agalya, who was the last to get off, leaned on the side of the bus and was fatally electrocuted, sources said.
The other passengers rushed Agalya to a nearby hospital, but the doctors there declared her dead on arrival, sources added.
Speaking to TNIE, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s Arcot executive engineer explained the cause of the incident. “There is a commercial complex near the spot where the bus came to a stop. Its owner had recently increased the height of the parking area by filling it with sand, reducing the overhead clearance, leading to the fatal incident. The owner had not informed the EB about the modification,” he said.
Subsequently, EB officials lodged a formal complaint with the Arcot police. A case has been registered. Further probe is on.