Two labourers were electrocuted to death while working at a private steel factory owned by the Jai Balaji Group in the Mongolpur industrial belt under the Raniganj Police Station area early this morning. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the two labourers, Debajyoti Sarkar (20) of Mejia block in Bankura district and Rakesh Singh (50) of Saran district in Bihar, were engaged in pipe repair work inside the plant. They accidentally came into contact with live electric cables, resulting in their immediate electrocution. The accident took place in the number three unit of the Jai Balaji Group plant. Debajyoti Sarkar, a contract worker, was the first to be electrocuted.
Rakesh Singh, a senior supervisor, attempted to rescue him but was also electrocuted. The recent heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Dana may have contributed to the incident. The workers were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were declared brought dead. Following the news of the fatal accident, trade union leaders, family members, and INTTUC leadership arrived at the plant to protest and demand compensation for the victims’ families. Debajyoti Sarkar had only joined the plant seven days ago. After negotiations with district INTTUC leadership and local police, Jai Balaji Group officials agreed to provide compensation to the families, leading to the withdrawal of the protest. The bodies of the victims were handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations today