Wild elephant electrocuted in MP; 12th death in few days
This marks the 12th pachyderm death in the state within a few days.
Three persons were electrocuted and seven people injured during an immersion of a huge Ganesh idol at Baza Kadamtala ghat here in the early hours on Monday, police said.
Puja organisers Bimal Sahani (37), Jitendra Sahani (28) and one Bitash Mondal (30) were electrocuted when an overhead electrical wire got detached from a pole and fell on the idol, after portion of the 25-feet tall idol got entangled in it.
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The incident occurred at around 1 am when the organisers were carrying the idol for immersion in the Hooghly river.
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“They were trying to cross the railway track when the idol’s hand got entangled with the overhead electrical wires and fell on it. Bitash Mondal, who was standing just behind the idol on the dais and managing the wires with the help of a wooden stick, was electrocuted. Two others were also electrocuted,” a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.
“There were seven others who were injured and a sizeable portion of the idol caught fire,” he said.
Five of the injured, identified as Mahesh Shaw (22), Dinanath Ram (15), Amar Mondal (45), Arjun Chetri (20), Mohon Sahani (35) were being treated in two hospitals.
Two others, Asis Podder and Niranjan Sarder, were discharged from a hospital after treatment, he said.
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