Seven persons were electrocuted and four others injured when a live wire fell on them in Madhubani district of Bihar, prompting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to order an investigation.
A 11,000-volt overhead wire snapped and fell on a road at Kunwar Singh Chowk under Jai Nagar police station where a group of people were trading fruits and vegetables on the occasion of Chhath festival, Madhubani Superintendent of Police Md. Akhtar Hussain said.
While six persons died on the spot, five others sustained burn injuries. One of the injured died in a hospital later, district officials said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the Energy Department to probe the incident, an official release said.
Expressing grief at the death of seven persons, Kumar also directed the district administration to provide ex-gratia assistance to the kin of the bereaved families and medical treatment of the injured people.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
(Reopens CAL3)
Sub-Divisional Officer Mustafa Ansari announced Rs 1.5 lakh ex-gratia assistance to the family members of each of the deceased and Rs 25,000 every injured persons.
The victims have been identified as Ravindra Yadav (26), Mahendra Paswan (23), Sikandar Paswan (22), Dharmendra Paswan (27), Sujit Yadav (18), Shavan Yadav (19) and Upendra Paswan (41), all hailing from nearby villages, police said.
