Eight workers were killed and five others were seriously injured in Chhapoli village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district on Monday morning after an iron pipe attached to a cement mixer came into contact with an 11,000-volt overhead power line during road construction, police said.
The incident occurred near a pond in Chhapoli, where road work was under way. According to police, the pipe struck the high-tension line, allowing electric current to pass into the cement mixer and electrocuting workers at the site.
The deceased were identified as Hariram, 30, Mangalchand, 22, Kaluram, 29 and Pawan, 23, all residents of Mandawara. The other four victims were identified as Surendra alias Suresh, 30, Mukesh, 27, Fateh Chand, 32, and contractor Vishnu, 38, all residents of Chhapoli.
The five injured workers were identified as Geeta, 45, Santra, 35, Manju, 38, Mahendra, 27 and Gigaram, 48. They include three women. All five were admitted to Udaipurwati hospital, where they were undergoing treatment.
Police said the road work site was located on forest land and that local authorities had not granted permission for construction. Villagers were allegedly arranging the road through mutual cooperation and donations, according to the report. The circumstances raise questions about whether the worksite had been assessed for overhead electrical hazards before construction equipment was deployed, although the authorities had not announced a formal finding on responsibility.
District Collector Dr Arun Garg, Superintendent of Police Kavendra Singh Sagar and former minister Rajendra Gudha reached the site after receiving information about the incident. Officials inspected the location and sought details about the medical condition of the injured workers.
Urban road construction near existing electricity infrastructure requires coordination between the work agency and the power authorities because machinery, pipes and lifting equipment can come within the clearance zone of overhead lines. In this case, police said the cement mixer’s iron pipe made contact with the 11,000-volt line while work was being carried out near the pond.
UDH minister Jhabar Singh Kharra met the injured workers at the hospital. The injured remained under treatment at Udaipurwati hospital, while officials continued their site inspection and collection of information about the incident.
