Anantapur: 6 farm workers electrocuted

Anantapur: In a gruesome incident, six agriculture labourers were electrocuted when live electrical cables got snapped and fell on the tractor in which the agriculture labourers were travelling. Three others who sustained burn injuries were admitted to the government hospital.

The incident occurred at Durgahonur village in Bommanahal mandal on border with Karnataka when the agriculture labourers were going for work to harvest maize crop in the village when live electrical cables gave way and fell on the tractor.

The tractor immediately caught fire and the labourers who came in contact with the live wire were electrocuted. Six labourers died on the spot. Three others who sustained burns were shifted to the government hospital by the police for treatment.

The police on learning of the mishap rushed to the scene of tragedy and sent the bodies for post mortem examination and the injured for treatment.

The police are yet to identify the deceased. All the deceased hailed from Durgahonur village.

District collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan on learning of the tragedy ordered an inquiry. She promised payment of compensation to the families of the diseased. The police too are enquiring into the incident.

K Fakeerappa, superintendent of police, said the condition of two persons was critical.

Meanwhile, Rayadurgam MLA, Kapu Ramachandra Reddy in a statement said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

The Chief Minister also directed the authorities to take necessary steps to ensure better treatment of those injured.

This is the second major tragedy that occurred in the erstwhile Anantapur district. In July, five women labourers died when a live wire fell on an atuorickshaw in which agricultural workers were travelling at Chillakondaiahpalli village in Sathyasai district.