Jhumpura: Five labourers engaged in electrification work under ‘Saubhagya’ scheme were critically hurt when the 11KV transmission lines they were working on got sudden flow of electricity at Tiloupadasahi in Khendara panchayat under this block in Keonjhar district Sunday.
Two of the wounded labourers were minors. All the injured labourers were admitted to the district headquarters hospital and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The injured Markand Singh (40), Goura Singh (19), Rajen Soren (18), Sambhu Singh (17) and Dhana Singh (13) belong to Udala in Mayurbhanj district.
The rural electrification work was being executed by a private company. The villagers alleged the company was carrying out substandard work while labourers were engaged without proper safety equipment.
Locals alleged though they had drawn the attention of the company’s manager Gyana Prakash Sahu about the unsafe way of working, no step has been taken to address the concern.
The labourers were connecting wires of 440 volt with 11KV lines at noon when the mishap took place. Jhumpura police rushed to the spot and started an investigation. As two minors were engaged in such hazardous work, police have taken the case seriously.
The area falls under the jurisdiction of Champua Nesco sub-division. However, Nesco’s assistant engineer Haladhar Senapati was not aware of the accident.
The manager of the company refused to say anything about the incident.
Jhumpura IIC Archana Mallick said a case will be registered against the contractual agency.
PNN