Five kanwariyas electrocuted, several injured in UP’s Meerut

Five people died of electrocution while several others were injured after a vehicle carrying a group of Kanwariyas on Saturday night brushed against a low-hanging high-tension line in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district.

The incident took place in Bhawanpur's Rali Chauhan village in Meerut, where Kanwariyas were returning with water from the Holy Ganges river in Haridwar.

The high-voltage current charged the vehicle and into the crowd, knocking down the devotees. Locals rushed to the spot and called the power station to shut down the electricity supply.

"Ten kanwariyas were admitted to the hospital. Of them, five died during treatment. Investigations are under way,” Meerut DM Deepak Meena said.

The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva. Millions of pilgrims fetch water from Ganga river and carry on their shoulders for hundreds of kilometres to offer it in their local Shiva shrines, or specific temples. The pilgrims, known as kanwariyas, dress in saffron attire, often walking barefoot in a show of devotion.