From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: In a tragic incident, seven members from two families, mostly students, were electrocuted in Khliehriat West village in East Jaintia Hills District on Wednesday midnight.
Leakage of power from an 11 KV pole into the nearby water pipes connected to a house led to the tragedy, sources said on Thursday.
The victims were identified as Sakani Bamon (8) of class III, Bakani Bamon (11) of class V, Anipaia Bamon (12) of class VIII (all students of Ambrose Memorial Secondary School) and their elder sister Rose Mary Bamon (26) doing her BA first-year from Jaintia Eastern College and her husband, Lastingson Rymbai (27). All the Bamon sisters hailed from Lamyrsiang village of East Jaintia Hills.
Another two victims of another family who stayed in the same house were identified as Heimonmi Pdang (12) and his younger sister Lumlang Pdang (8).
All the victims came to Khliehriat to study and they were staying in a rented house belonging to one Khadduh Swer of Khliehriat West.
The building was constructed illegally close to a high tension 11 KV pole.
Nine other persons staying in the same building had a narrow escape.
Heavy rains that lashed the area for the past few days have led to the leakage in power transmission which resulted in the electrocution of the victims.
According to an eye witness, the victims came rushing towards the opposite building after seeing fire in the electric pole. Once they reached near the ill-fated pipe, they started falling down one after another and under a minute, they died. The water pipe turned red in colour at a particular time, the witness said.
Senior officials of the district administration visited the spot.
Meanwhile, East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Bhagotia has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.
Local MLA, Justine Dkhar blamed the MeECL for the tragedy. “The field staff of the MeECL should have informed the authorities during the construction of the house close to an electric pole”, Dkhar said adding that compensation should be paid to the families of the victims.
In charge SDO Maintenance of the MeECL, J Patlong informed that no construction is allowed close to an electric pole but in this case no report was received from the field staff.