Cooch Behar: Five workers were killed in a tragic electrocution incident at Bhangani Part-II under Dinhata-II Gram Panchayat in Cooch Behar district on Sunday.
According to local sources, the mishap occurred during construction work at a stone chip factory. An iron rod attached to a welding machine reportedly came into contact with an 11,000-volt high-tension overhead power line. The rod had allegedly not been lowered while the machine was in operation.
Four workers died on the spot, while the injured were rushed to Dinhata Sub-Divisional Hospital. One more worker later succumbed to injuries, taking the death toll to five.
The deceased were identified as Mukul Barman, Raju Sen, Mithun Paul, Suman Roy, and Sanjay Barman, all residents of different parts of the Dinhata subdivision.
Police reached the scene soon after being informed and initiated rescue operations. An investigation has been launched. State Minister of the North Bengal Development Department, Udayan Guha, termed the incident “extremely tragic,” confirming that five people had died and stating that the condition of those undergoing treatment remains critical.
Biswajit Das, regional officer of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) in Cooch Behar, said the department has begun an inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the mishap.