Four youths suffered burn injuries after a 15-foot Durga idol being transported on a trolley came into contact with sagging high-tension wires near the Moklagaon toll booth on the Indore-Aidalabad National Highway, according to a report by the Times of India. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon while the idol was being taken from Burhanpur to Khandwa.
Sparks from the electricity wires reportedly set fire to the plaster of Paris idol’s saree, injuring the four youths travelling with it. They were identified as Uday, Krish, Kapil and Raja. A highway ambulance took them to the district hospital, where police said they were stable and receiving treatment.
The idol had been loaded on the trolley by members of the Tapalchal Chowk Navdurga Utsav Samiti for the return journey. The statue was damaged in the incident, and repair work was under way, the report said.
Samiti president Nitesh Medhe blamed the national highways administration for the accident, alleging that the wires had been hanging at a low height for a long period. He also said that the National Highways Authority of India had erected barricades on both sides of the highway to prevent tall vehicles from passing through the stretch.
Chhaigaon Makhan police station in-charge SN Pandey confirmed that the wires near Moklagaon had been low for some time. Pandey said the police had not been informed when the idol arrived and would have sent personnel to assist it in crossing the location safely if they had received prior information.
The police officer said the four youths were injured after the statue came into contact with the wires. Their condition was reported to be stable while they remained under treatment at the district hospital.
The incident has brought attention to the safety risks created when low-hanging overhead electrical wires intersect with highway traffic and the movement of tall vehicles or large public-event structures. The supplied report did not specify which agency was responsible for the wires or whether a formal investigation had been initiated. The injured youths remained in hospital and the damaged idol was being repaired.
