In a devastating incident during the Mahashivratri celebrations in Kota, fourteen children participating in the Shiv Barat procession sustained burn injuries from electrocution, with two of them in critical condition, including one with 100% burn injuries, according to the police.
The incident occurred in the Sakatoura area under the Kunhari police station, where the children, aged 7–15, were electrocuted by a high-tension power line passing overhead. Superintendent of Police (SP) Amrita Duhan reported that two children suffered 50% and 100% burn injuries, respectively, while the other 12 sustained injuries below 50%. All the injured have been admitted to MBS Hospital in Kota.
#WATCH | Rajasthan: Several children were electrocuted during a procession on the occasion of Mahashivratri, in Kota. Further details awaited. pic.twitter.com/F5srBhO9kz
— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2024
The mishap transpired on Friday between 11:30 am and 12 noon when a Shiv Barat procession was progressing through Kalibasti. One of the boys, holding a flag atop a 22-foot-high iron rod, accidentally touched the high-tension line passing overhead, resulting in the electrocution. The boy holding the flag suffered 100% burn injury, and other boys attempting to rescue him also sustained burn injuries, with one at 50% and the remaining 12 below 50%.
Eyewitnesses recounted a festive atmosphere with dancing and singing abruptly disrupted by a loud bang and sparks. Expressing grief, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma instructed the district administration to provide immediate assistance and the best treatment to the injured children. He assured a thorough investigation into the incident.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, upon learning of the tragedy, visited the hospital to meet the injured children. Birla emphasized the importance of proper treatment and issued instructions to ensure the well-being of all the affected children. The incident has cast a pall over the Mahashivratri celebrations, prompting a comprehensive examination of the circumstances surrounding the electrocution.
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