Navratri Procession Turns Tragic in Jabalpur: 2 Dead, 30 Injured
Leaders rush to hospital, console families after Jabalpur festival tragedy.
A joyous Navratri celebration turned deadly in Jabalpur’s Gaura Bazar on Sunday night when a truck carrying a Goddess Durga idol brushed against a high-tension power line, killing two men and injuring over 30 others. The horrific incident, marked by a sudden surge of electricity, has left the community reeling and sparked urgent questions about safety during festival processions.
The tragedy unfolded as the truck, adorned with iron poles for the idol’s immersion ceremony, rumbled through Temar Bhita. Around 11 p.m., one of the poles snagged an 11,000 kV overhead line, unleashing a deadly current. Additional Superintendent of Police Anjana Tiwari confirmed the contact triggered a massive electrical surge, fatally electrocuting two occupants of the vehicle, identified as Chintu Vishwakarma, 38, and Akhilesh Patel, 48.
Dr. Nitin Yadav, a duty doctor at Government Victoria Hospital, reported that 35 people flooded the emergency ward in the aftermath. Two were pronounced dead on arrival, while 33 others—battling burns and shock—were admitted across various wards, including the ICU. “Their conditions are stable, but the trauma is profound,” Yadav told reporters, as families gathered outside, grappling with grief and disbelief.
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Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene: sparks flying, screams piercing the night, and festival lights dimming under the weight of tragedy. The procession, meant to honor the culmination of Navratri with the idol’s immersion, instead became a grim spectacle of loss. Police have launched an investigation, registering a case to probe whether negligence or oversight contributed to the disaster.
State Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh, alongside MLA Ashok Rohani, District Collector Raghvendra Singh, and Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay, rushed to the hospital to assess the situation and console families. As Jabalpur mourns, the incident casts a shadow over festival safety, with calls mounting for stricter regulations to prevent such heart-wrenching losses in the future.
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