Five agriculture labourers from Guddampalli in Tadimarri Mandal of Sri Sathya Sai District got burnt alive and three others are battling for their lives with injuries in a hospital in Anantapur when an 11 KV high tension electric wire snapped at the insulator near a pole and fell on the vehicle carrying 10 passengers and a driver on Thursday morning.
While the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (APTRANSCO) officials said a squirrel had fallen on the wire leading to a short-circuit and snapping of wire, the locals said the wire had three joints and was 50 years old.
Inquiry ordered
Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Corporation (APSPDCL) Chairman and Managing Director H. Harinadh Rao has ordered an inquiry into the entire incident and the reasons behind the snapping of the wire. He has announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the kin of the dead and ₹2 lakh for each of the injured persons. He has asked the Anantapur SE to ensure best possible treatment for the injured.
According to APTRANSCO Sub-Inspector K. Janardhan, the deceased were identified as Konka Ramulamma, 30, Konka Rathnamma, 45, Konka Pedda Kanthamma, 50, Konka Lakshmi Devi, 45, and G. Kumari, 35. All of them were closely related and were going on routine farm work at 6 a.m. to Chillakondayyapalli in the same mandal when the wire snapped and fell on the auto. The vehicle was carrying an iron frame on its roof, which triggered the fire.
With the fire spreading rapidly in the overloaded vehicle, the women could not escape. The others — including driver Talari Pothullaih — namely Sivaratnamma, 42, Konka Ramadevi, 35, Konka Nageswaramma, 45, Konka Ratnamma, 48, Araveta Eswaramma, 40 and Konka Gayatri, 26, escaped with injuries and all are said to be out of danger.
The APTRANSCO officials reached the accident spot and are investigating the reasons behind the snapping of wire after a new transformer was installed on a pole on one side.
