By-polls announced on 6 Assembly & 1 Lok Sabha seat of Bengal on Nov 13
In a deeply unfortunate incident during the Ulta Rath Yatra in Tripura's Unakoti, seven individuals, including two children, lost their lives, while 16 others sustained injuries due to electrocution.
The mishap occurred when the Rath of Lord Jagannath came into contact with a high-tension wire, leading to the tragic outcome. Expressing their condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha both announced compensatory measures for the affected families and the injured victims.
Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter to express his grief over the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery for those injured. He announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased. Additionally, he declared a compensation of Rs 50,000 for individuals who suffered injuries in the incident.
Chief Minister Manik Saha promptly visited the site of the mishap as soon as he learned about it. He assessed the situation on the ground and also visited the hospital to personally monitor the condition of the injured victims. Saha announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased. Furthermore, he declared compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for those with more than 60 percent burn injuries and Rs 74,000 for individuals who sustained minor burn injuries.
The unfortunate incident took place in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat around 4:30 pm. The "Ulta Rath Yatra" was organized by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). While six people lost their lives on the spot, one individual passed away during transportation to a nearby hospital.
Animesh Debbarma, the Leader of Opposition, called upon Chief Minister Saha to take strict action against those responsible for the lapses that led to this tragic mishap.
Political parties across the spectrum expressed their condolences for the lives lost in the accident. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state canceled all its scheduled programs, while the Congress and CPI(M) also mourned the deaths resulting from this heartrending tragedy.