15 protesting a death at Uttarakhand project site die of electrocution

According to the police, at least seven people suffered serious burn injuries in the second incident at the plant, situated on the banks of Alaknanda river.

An injured being airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh from the Namami Gange project site. (PTI)

Authorities said the cause of the electricity leak is being ascertained. On the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The probe will be conducted by Additional District Magistrate Abhishek Tripathi and the report will be submitted within a week.

Dhami announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those dead and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called up Dhami to inquire about the Chamoli incident. A PMO tweet later said: “An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the tragic mishap in Chamoli. The injured would be given Rs 50,000: PM @narendramodi.”

#Uttarakhand | At least Fifteen people were killed and several injured after a power transformer exploded in Chamoli.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, “Have called for magisterial inquiry; rescue efforts on”

Read more: https://t.co/gW3LrA44RP pic.twitter.com/FRv5pMPKJ8

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) July 19, 2023

Confirming the 15 deaths, ADG (Law and Order) V Murugesan said, “We are taking necessary action. An inquiry has been ordered. Prima facie we have found that the electricity spread on a railing.”

According to District Energy Corporation Executive Engineer Amit Saxena, one of the power phases at the project site was down Tuesday night. It was fixed Wednesday morning following which electricity returned to the premises. According to him, none of the wires from the transformer were found to be broken.

Operation and maintenance work at the plant is outsourced to a Patiala-based company, Jai Bhushan Malik.

Sources said relatives of the operator who died earlier in the morning reached the site after calls to his phone went unanswered, and started searching for him. It then came to light that the operator, identified as Ganesh (27), had died of electrocution.

“Around 9.15 am, we received information that STP operator Ganesh was found dead near the STP room,” said Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, Executive Engineer, Jal Sansthan, Gopeshwar, adding that the body was found on the stairs to the STP room. “Suspecting that the death was caused by electrocution, we cut the power supply of the pump house,” he said.

As information about the death spread, many residents from nearby Harmani village, where the operator lived, reached the spot, said Srivastava.

“Demanding compensation, they refused to let the administration take his body. In the meantime, a lineman from the local power station inspected the site but found nothing wrong with the powerline and left. As the locals were arguing with the police and company officials, around 11.35 am suddenly there was another electricity circulation leading to the deaths,” said Srivastava.

“We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident,” said Chief Minister Dhami.