Kota: Fourteen children who participated in the Shiv Barat procession on the occasion of Mahashivratri in Kota on Friday sustained burn injuries after getting electrocuted, said police, adding two children are critical, with one suffering 100% burn injury.
Police said the children, aged 7-15 years, were electrocuted from a high-tension power line passing overhead in the Sakatoura area under the Kunhari police station.
Two children have sustained 50 and 100% burn injuries, respectively, while the other 12 sustained less than 50% injuries, said Amrita Duhan, superintendent of police (SP), Kota City.
All the injured have been admitted to the MBS hospital in Kota. According to the police, the incident took place on Friday between 11.30am-12 noon when a Shiv Barat procession was marching through Kalibasti, where one of the boys, holding a flag atop a 22-feet-high iron rod, touched the high-tension line passing overhead.
The boy holding the flag sustained 100% burn injury, said police. Other boys who attempted to rescue him also sustained burn injuries, the SP said, adding that one of them sustained 50% burn injury while the other 12 sustained less than 50%.
Eyewitnesses said that everyone was dancing and singing when suddenly a lound bang was heard with sparks.
Expressing grief, chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma directed the district administration to provide immediate assistance and the best treatment to the children.
The CM said that a probe will be conducted keeping all aspects of the accident in mind.
Meanwhile, knowing of the incident, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reached the hospital and met the injured children. Birla said instructions have been given to the doctors to ensure proper treatment of all the children.
