A 55-year-old woman and her son died in Jabalpur after iron angles they were pulling towards the terrace of a three-storey building came into contact with a high-tension power line, while a 12-year-old relative was seriously injured in the accident, police said.
The incident took place around 8 pm on Sunday in Mandwa Basti, within the limits of Gorakhpur police station. The deceased were identified as Sita Rajput and her son Kishan Rajput. The injured boy, identified as Riyan Rajput, is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
According to Gorakhpur police station in-charge Nitin Kamal, the family was shifting iron angles intended for use in a Durga Puja pandal. Kishan had tied the angles into a bundle on the ground floor, after which Sita and Riyan began pulling it towards the terrace with a rope.
The bundle became unstable while it was being lifted and came into contact with a high-tension power line passing about eight feet from the building, police said. Sita suffered an electric shock. Kishan and Riyan rushed to help her and were also caught in the electrical current.
All three sustained injuries and were taken to hospital with the assistance of family members and local residents. Doctors declared Sita and Kishan dead on arrival, while Riyan was admitted for treatment. The incident places the safety risks around overhead high-voltage infrastructure and building-level activities in sharp focus, although the police investigation will establish the circumstances in detail.
The account also highlights how routine construction or event-preparation work near homes can become hazardous when long or bundled metal objects are moved close to overhead electrical lines. The reported distance between the line and the building was about eight feet, but the supplied report does not state whether any safety assessment, warning, shutdown request or clearance had been sought before the angles were moved.
Police registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an investigation. The report does not specify whether the electricity distribution agency has inspected the line or whether any action has been taken regarding the proximity of the power infrastructure to the building.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the deaths and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the two deceased. Riyan remains under treatment, according to the report. Further details are expected from the police investigation and the authorities responsible for the power line.
