HYDERABAD: Five persons were killed and four others sustained serious injuries after coming into contact with a live wire during a Sri Krishna Janmashtami procession in Ramanthapur, Uppal, on Sunday night.
The incident took place at Gokul Nagar around midnight when the chariot being pulled as part of the Sri Krishna Shoba Yatra by members of the local Yadav community broke down. With the Ramanthapur Yadav Sangam community hall — the endpoint of the procession — less than 100 metres away, devotees began pushing the stalled chariot forward. In the process, it brushed against a dangling cable that was touching overhead power lines, resulting in electrocution.
The deceased were identified as Krishna Yadav (21), Srikanth Reddy (35), Suresh Yadav (34), Rudra Vikas (39) and Rajendra Reddy (45). The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, with some later shifted to other facilities for specialised care. Police moved the bodies to Gandhi Hospital for post-mortem and have launched an investigation.
Power department blamed
Tension prevailed in Ramanthapur on Monday as locals staged a protest, blaming the electricity department for negligence. Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) CMD Musharraf Ali Faruqui, along with other officials, visited the spot but faced protests from residents.
They alleged that damaged and low-hanging wires had been left unattended despite repeated complaints, and timely repairs could have averted the tragedy.
Faruqui said he would take up the matter with the government and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and ordered an inquiry. He assured that all assistance would be extended to the families of the deceased and the injured.
Rs 5 lakh ex gratia announced
IT Minister D Sridhar Babu visited Gandhi Hospital and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
He announced `5 lakh ex gratia to each family and said the government would bear all medical expenses of the injured.
He directed officials to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and warned of strict action against those responsible. “A special drive has been ordered across Greater Hyderabad to review and rectify risks posed by hanging cables and electric wires,” he said.
BRS demands Rs 1 cr
BRS leader and former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, along with MLAs Kaleru Venkatesh and Muta Gopal, visited the accident site and later met the victims’ families in Habsiguda and Old Ramanthapur.
Yadav criticised the government for announcing only `5 lakh, calling it inadequate. “This is an attempt to wash its hands of responsibility. Each family must be given `1 crore in financial aid and a government job to secure their future,” he demanded.