14 injured during Muharram procession due to electrocution in Bihar

Representational Image. File Pic

At least 14 people were injured in Bihar's Araria district due to electrocution during a Muharram procession on Wednesday, reported PTI citing the police.

The incident took place in Pipra Bijwara area. When the procession was passing through an open field, a portion of the tazia came in contact with a high-tension electric wire, said the police reported PTI.

As per the PTI report, all the injured were part of the procession.

"While eight persons, who are seriously injured, have been admitted in the Araria district hospital, the rest were discharged after giving necessary medical care," a police statement said.

In another accident on Tuesday, a Pandharpur-bound bus carrying 'warkaris' or pilgrims hit a tractor on Mumbai-Pune Expressway leaving at least five persons killed and 42 injured.

Notably, tractors are not allowed on the expressway.

The bus was carrying 54 warkaris, devotees of Lord Vitthal, to Pandharpur in Solapur district ahead of the Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrations from Dombivli near Mumbai.

According to deputy commissioner of police Vivek Pansare, the accident took place around midnight near Panvel in Navi Mumbai.

As per the PTI report, the speeding bus hit the tractor from behind while trying to overtake it, police said. Among the five deceased, three were passengers from the bus while two were persons riding on the tractor identified as driver Tarvez Salahuddin Ahmed (27) and Deepak Sohan Rajbhar (30)

The deceased bus passengers were identified as Hausabai Hari Patil (65), Ramdas Narayan Mukadam (71) and Gurunath Bapu Patil (65), said the PTI report.

After hitting the tractor, the bus broke through the barricade of the expressway falling into a 20-feet deep gorge, an official said.

The injured pilgrims were rushed to a private hospital. As per the PTI report, the condition of seven of them was serious, he said.

Addressing the media at the Navi Mumbai hospital, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the families of the deceased will be paid financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each and that the government will bear all expenses of the treatment.

Police were probing the causes of the accident and those responsible will face action, the CM said.

"I met each and every injured, who told me that they were alive due to the blessings of Lord Pandurang," said Shinde.