On Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed profound grief over the tragic deaths of nine Kanwariyas in Hajipur and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh for each victim’s family.
The incident occurred on the night of Sunday into Monday, when a vehicle carrying Kanwariyas came into contact with a high-voltage overhead wire in Bihar’s Hajipur, resulting in the fatalities and several injuries.
“It is heartbreaking that nine devotees traveling on a DJ trolley died due to electric shock near Sultanpur village in the Industrial Police Station area of Vaishali district,” Nitish Kumar stated on X (formerly Twitter). “I pray to God to grant strength to the families of the deceased during this difficult time. The North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited will provide an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to each affected family.”
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According to police reports, eight devotees died at the scene, while one succumbed to injuries at the hospital.
Om Prakash, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Hajipur, explained that the height of the DJ-mounted trolley caused it to touch the high-tension wire. “The DJ trolley was very high, and it became entangled with the 11,000-volt high-tension wire, leading to the deaths of some devotees and injuries to others who are currently receiving treatment,” SDPO Om Prakash told reporters.
The victims, hailing from Sultanpur village, were traveling to Pahelaja Ghat in Saran to perform a ritual at Sonpur Baba Haiharnath. Kanwariyas are Shiva devotees who undertake pilgrimages to locations such as Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri in Uttarakhand, and Sultanganj in Bihar to collect holy water from the River Ganga for worship.
(INPUTS FROM ANI)
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