Uttar Pradesh: 5 Kanwariya pilgrims electrocuted to death in Meerut
What's the story
In a heartbreaking development from Uttar Pradesh, a religious procession turned lethal as five Kanwariya pilgrims have reportedly died, and five others were injured after their vehicle came in contact with a high-tension wire in Meerut's Bhawanpur area. Led by a group of Kanwariyas, followers of Lord Shiva, the procession was allegedly returning from Haridwar on Saturday with holy water from the Ganges River.
Details
Here's what led to death of kanwariyas
According to Free Press Journal, the vehicle carrying the Kanwariya pilgrims encountered a dangerously low, high-tension line soon after entering Bhawanpur, resulting in a high-voltage electric shock surging through the crowd of gathered devotees. Before anyone could do anything, chaos ensued as the electric shock knocked down the devotees inside the vehicle one after another.
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Visuals of victims in Meerut 'electric shock' incident
VIDEO | Several devotees killed after a vehicle carrying kawariyas came in contact with a high-tension wire in UP's Meerut earlier today.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 15, 2023
"The incident happened in Bhawanpur's Rali Chauhan village. The vehicle carrying DJ with around 16 kawariyas is believed to have come in… pic.twitter.com/MvtwcPj20x
More details
Know about victims of incident
One of the pilgrims, identified as Manish, was officially declared dead at the scene, while the others reportedly succumbed to injuries later. According to NDTV, five other victims were currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals, with the condition of two of them being critical. Furthermore, a video of the shocking incident has since gone viral as well.
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Trigger warning: Visuals from Meerut incident spot
Five Kavadis died due to electrocution in Kavad's DJ#Meerut
— DHIRAJ DUBEY (@Ddhirajk) July 15, 2023
When the Kavadias reached their destination Meerut on foot from Haridwar, 20 Kavadias got electrocuted when a DJ trolley collided with 11,000 power lines. #KanwarYatra2023 #Kanwariya pic.twitter.com/JLdkH0nOAX
Know more
Meerut DM provides update on situation
Providing an update, Meerut District Magistrate (DM) Deepak Meena told ANI, "Five Kanwariya pilgrims were electrocuted to death, and five others admitted to a hospital after their vehicle playing music brushed against an 11KV line (wire)." "The incident took place in Bhawanpur's Rali Chauhan village in Meerut district. A team of doctors and officials have been allocated. Further investigating is underway," Meena added.
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Video of DM Meena speaking to media
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Meerut DM, Deepal Meena says "Five Kanwariya pilgrims were electrocuted to death and five others admitted to a hospital after their vehicle playing music, brushed against an 11KV line (wire). The incident took place in Bhawanpur's Rali Chauhan village in… pic.twitter.com/Y9P3057QzI
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 15, 2023
Further information
All you need to know about Kanwar Yatra
The Kanwar Yatra can be described as a major religious gathering in North India that draws nearly 10-12 million participants from states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha annually. The Kanwariya pilgrims walk barefoot to Hindu pilgrimage places, often on roads and highways, to showcase their devotion toward Lord Shiva while dressed entirely in saffron.
Further details
Similar incident involving Kanwariyas in Saharanpur
To recall, a similar incident took place on Tuesday (July 11) that saw four Kanwariya pilgrims being injured in UP's Saharanpur after an iron flag poll on top of their truck came in contact with an electric wire. While the victims suffered severe burns from the electrocution, they were brought back to stable condition after treatment at a hospital.