A tragic accident occurred in the Lanji police station area of Balaghat on Tuesday morning, where three members of a family were electrocuted and burnt alive after coming into contact with a live high-tension power line.
The victims have been identified as Sevak Ram Panche (30), his wife Renuka Panche (28), and his cousin Bhojraj Panche (28), all residents of Sarra village. The family was on their way to a Durga temple in Dewalgaon on a motorcycle when the accident took place. They leave behind three young daughters.
According to officials, the heavy rain and storms caused a tree branch to fall onto an 11 KV high-tension line, snapping the wire and leaving it dangling dangerously over the road. As the victims’ motorcycle passed through a bend, the live wire became entangled in the handle, electrocuting them instantly and setting the bike on fire. The bodies were reportedly burned for nearly an hour before help arrived.
Local residents, along with former sarpanch Chunne Lal Harde, have accused the electricity department of negligence, claiming that repeated complaints about dangling wires and damaged poles had been ignored.
JE Avinash Deshmukh from the Lanji Electricity Department acknowledged that the wire broke due to the fallen tree branch but said that the accident occurred because the wire was not visible at the bend.
MLA Rajkumar Karrahe noted that the dense forest posed challenges for tree pruning but assured compensation for the families of the victims.
SDM Kamal Chandra Singhsar confirmed that the electricity company would provide financial aid to the families. Superintendent Engineer Deepak Uike announced that Rs 4 lakh compensation would be provided to each victim’s family, with additional assistance under government schemes promised by the MLA.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with locals demanding accountability for the electricity department’s alleged negligence. Authorities have cut power supply in the area, and investigations are ongoing.
This tragic event underscores the urgent need for better maintenance of power lines, particularly in monsoon-prone regions, to prevent such devastating accidents in the future.