New Delhi (Agency): In a mournful scene, the last rites of 16 people, who lost their lives in an electrocution incident at a sewage treatment plant in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, were performed on Thursday.
The funerals of 12 individuals from the Harmani, Rangtauli, and Ropa villages took place on the banks of the Alaknanda River. In a solemn display of communal strength, hundreds of people from neighboring villages came to pay their respects at the cremation grounds near the Kuhed and Bajpur villages.
Ganesh Lal, Deepu Kumar, and Mahendra Lal, residents of Harmani village, were cremated in a ceremony led by the youngest brother, Manish. The sons of home guards Mukundi Ram and Gopal performed the last rites for their fathers. In their respective home villages, final farewells were held for sub-inspector Pradeep Rawat and four others.
This tragedy unfolded on Wednesday at the sewage treatment plant of the Namami Gange project, located on the banks of the Alaknanda. It resulted in the electrocution of fifteen people and injured 11 others. They had gathered at the plant following a separate electrocution incident of another local resident the previous night.
The impact of the tragedy was palpable as markets remained closed in Chamoli and surrounding areas on Thursday while the local community grieved their loss. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the families of the victims, expressing concern for the wellbeing of those injured. He laid wreaths on the bodies of the police officer and home guards who lost their lives in the incident. “It is a very heart-wrenching incident, and we pray to God to give place to the departed souls at his feet,” he said.
The chief minister earlier announced a magisterial investigation into the incident and declared compensation for the affected families. Each bereaved family would receive Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh would go to each injured person. He emphasized that those found culpable would face strict action.
