Express News Service
PATNA: The Republic Day celebration turned morose for the residents of a Dalit hamlet of Nathpur village in Bihar’s Buxar district on Wednesday. A total of three children and a youth were electrocuted when they came in contact with a 11,000-volt electric wire ahead of the celebration at the local government primary school. One of them later died.
The incident took place around 8 am when the victims aged between 8 and 15 years were electrocuted while erecting an iron pole for the flag hoisting ceremony on the premises of the school. The residents rushed them to the Sadar hospital where one of them was declared dead. The deceased was identified as Shubham Kumar, 12, a resident of Nathpur village under Itarhi block in Buxar district.
As the news spread, a big crowd assembled at the Sadar hospital. Another group of residents blocked Itarhi-Buxar road and disrupted vehicular traffic, demanding compensation for the families and action against the school.
Apparently, some residents alleged that they had written to the executive officer of South Bihar Power Distribution Company to remove the overhead electric wire, but to no avail.
