As many as five women labourers were burnt alive after coming into contact with a high tension wire in Satya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh.
The incident took place when the wire fell on the auto-rickshaw transporting the labourers.
As many as 12 labourers belonging to Tadimarri, Gundampally and Peddakotla villages were going to Chilla Kondayyapalli village for farm works in the auto-rickshaw. The wire fell on their auto en route their destination after snapping. Of the 13 people in the auto, five died on the spot while the remaining nine including the auto rickshaw driver sustained injuries.
The dead have been identified as Kumari, Ratnamma, Ramulamma, Lakshmi Devi and Kanthamma.
The injured were taken to the RDT Hospital for treatment.
The CMD of the SPDCL Harinatha Rao said that a squirrel was responsible for the tragedy.
He said that the incident took place when the squirrel jumped from the electric wires onto the iron clamps resulting in the snapping of the wires due to an earthing reaction.
He said that Rs. 5 lakh would be paid to the family members of those who died in the incident, and Rs. 2 lakh to each of the injured.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan expressed anguish over the accident.
Harichandan offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members of the dead. He also directed the district administration to provide the best possible medical care to those injured in the incident.
Founder-president of Jana Sena Party Pawan Kalyan too expressed shock over the accident. He demanded that the State government come to the rescue of the victims and provide the best possible healthcare services to the injured.
He also asked the State government to focus on the maintenance of electricity lines instead of focusing on increasing the power charges.