3-member committee to probe death of workers at Alipore Zoo

Kolkata: Two persons were electrocuted while another was severely injured after being struck by electric current while undertaking work for setting up a hoarding inside Alipore Zoological Gardens on Thursday morning.

The incident occurred adjacent to the enclosure of the elephant at around 11.30 am. The zoo authorities have constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident.

According to police sources, the two deceased have been identified as Tarini Ghosh and Pradip Das residents of Kandi in Murshidabad and Bhadrak in Odisha respectively.

Liton Das who was also hit by electric shock and has been admitted at a private hospital in Ekbalpore is stated to be in serious condition. Das is a resident of Chingrighata area at EM Bypass.

"A three-member committee has been constituted to probe how the electrocution took place. They will submit a report very soon. The investigation will prove whether the private agency that was executing the work was following safety measures or not while the labourers were working in the rainy weather," said Asis Kumar Samanta, Director of Alipore Zoological Gardens.

According to sources, the zoo authorities had deployed an agency through tender for executing some work inside the zoo which is closed since the middle of March due to lockdown. The agency has been carrying out work since August 4.

They were supposed to set up around eight advertising hoardings at strategic locations inside the zoo. It is learnt that the zoo authorities had set a time frame for completion of the work and so they were carrying out work even on the day of lockdown (Thursday) so that they do not fail the deadline.

The labourers had set up camps inside the zoo premises for executing the work. Some eight to ten labourers were working when the incident occurred. "It is an accident and is extremely unfortunate. A probe has already been ordered," said V K Yadav, Member Secretary of West Bengal Zoo Authority. The Zoo Employees Union questioned the approach of the zoo authorities in allowing work to be undertaken during lockdown.

A team from Watgunge police station visited the place of occurrence and took stock of the situation. "There has been no complaints from any end whatsoever," said Waquar

Raza, Deputy Commissioner (Port).