Rajganj, 23rd June: Five people were injured, one of them critically, after a high-voltage power line snapped during bamboo-cutting work in Paschim Balabari under Sannyasikata Gram Panchayat of Rajganj on Tuesday.
According to local sources, bamboo from a grove in the area had become entangled with a high-voltage electricity line due to the monsoon. To avert any potential danger, electricity department personnel reportedly began cutting the bamboo on Tuesday morning.
During the operation, the high-voltage line allegedly caught fire, triggering a loud explosion that shook the entire area. A snapped electric wire reportedly fell on a house and a rural road, sparking a fire.
Five people sustained burn injuries and other wounds in the incident. Local residents rescued the injured and rushed them to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH). Hospital sources said one of the injured persons is in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the fallen wire landed on a house and the road, leading to the fire. A room was partially damaged, while electricity meters, fans, televisions and other electrical appliances in several houses were affected.
Local residents alleged negligence on the part of electricity department personnel and blamed it for the accident.
Following the incident, the Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police, the Officer-in-Charge of Rajganj Police Station, the BDO in-charge of Rajganj, electricity department officials and other administrative officers visited the spot.
Relief materials were distributed to affected families with the assistance of the Block Office. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.