20 July,2026 07:08 PM IST | Khunti (Jharkhand) | mid-day online correspondent
Some of the injured are reported to be in serious condition and are receiving treatment at different hospitals. Representational Pic/File
Two school students were killed and seven others suffered burn injuries after a Jagannath Rath Yatra chariot came into contact with a high-tension electricity wire in Jharkhand's Khunti district on Monday, reported the IANS.
The incident occurred in the Torpa area during the annual Lord Jagannath chariot procession, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old Chandan Kumar and 17-year-old Tijeshwar Gop, both students of Shrihari Plus Two School in Torpa, the news agency reported.
Some of the injured are reported to be in serious condition and are receiving treatment at different hospitals.
According to eyewitnesses, a large number of devotees were pulling the chariot when its upper iron structure came in contact with an overhead high-voltage electricity line, as per the IANS.
The contact reportedly electrified the chariot, causing electric shocks and leaving several people nearby injured.
Panic spread among devotees following the incident. Local residents immediately helped disconnect the power supply and rushed the injured to Torpa Hospital.
Two critically injured students were later shifted to Khunti Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
The incident has raised concerns over safety measures during religious processions.
Residents have questioned why adequate precautions were not taken before moving the large chariot beneath overhead power lines and whether proper safety checks were conducted before the procession began, according to the IANS.
Questions have also been raised about the presence of school students during the event and whether sufficient safeguards were in place.
Different accounts have emerged regarding how the students became part of the procession.
Some local residents said the students had joined the Rath Yatra during their lunch break, while others claimed they were invited to help pull the chariot, reported the IANS.
Another account suggested that the students had voluntarily joined the procession along with other devotees.
The officials were yet issue an official statement.
Senior police and administrative officials reached the spot following the accident and began assessing the situation.
The tragedy has caused widespread grief in Torpa and nearby villages, with families of the victims gathering at hospitals in distress.
(with IANS inputs)
