Nongpoh, July 15: Three children died after allegedly coming into contact with a live 11-kilovolt electricity line that had snapped and fallen onto a road at Umtangling village under Umiam Police Station in the Umroi area of Ri-Bhoi district on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm when the children were walking along the road. They reportedly failed to notice the fallen power line and were electrocuted after coming into contact with it. All three died at the scene.
Umtangling village headman Bok Nongbsap described the incident as unexpected and tragic. He said the children were apparently unaware that the electricity line had snapped and fallen across the road when they approached the area. Of the three victims, two children, aged 11 and 12, were siblings, the village headman said. The identity and age of the third child were not immediately provided.
Nongbsap alleged that before the incident, he had informed the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited about electricity lines in the village that appeared close to snapping. He also claimed that the local transformer had developed problems, leaving residents without electricity for around a week, but the matter was not addressed. He clarified that the wire involved in Wednesday’s incident snapped at a location slightly above the section that had previously raised concern.
Police personnel and officials from the electricity department reached the village soon after receiving information and initiated the necessary procedures. It was not immediately clear whether post-mortem examinations would be conducted, as the victims’ families were reportedly seeking exemption from the procedure.
