Chamoli: On Wednesday, 19 July, a horrifying incident unfolded in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district as a transformer exploded, causing a bridge on the banks of the Alaknanda river to become electrified. Fifteen individuals tragically lost their lives in the accident, which included a police sub inspector and three home guards. Additionally numerous others sustained injuries.
The bridge where the incident occurred is a significant part of the Namami Gange project, which aims to rejuvenate and clean the holy Ganges River. The authorities are currently looking into the explosion to determine its cause. Preliminary findings indicate that there may have been a current, on the railing resulting in the outcome. The investigation is still, in progress and additional details will be disclosed as more information becomes accessible.
Uttarakhand’s State Director General of Police, V Murugesan, expressed deep sadness over the incident and confirmed the death toll and the involvement of a police sub-inspector and home guards among the victims. The district administration, police, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have promptly reached the site to manage the situation and provide assistance.
Uttarakhand’s Chief Minister, M Pushkar Singh Dhami, expressed sorrow over the incident and assured that the injured are being attended to urgently. The injured individuals are being referred to a higher medical facility, and helicopters are being utilized to transport them to AIIMS Rishikesh for treatment. Given the seriousness of the situation there have been instructions, for an investigation to be conducted by a Magistrate in order to fully examine the details surrounding this incident.
While the authorities carry out their inquiry this incident has sparked worries regarding safety protocols and the importance of taking actions to prevent catastrophic accidents from occurring again in the future. The loss of lives and injuries resulting from the transformer explosion has deeply impacted the local community and underscored the importance of ensuring infrastructure safety in critical projects like the Namami Gange initiative.