Bilaspur: Five labourers, including a woman, suffered severe burn injuries after an iron street light pole they were erecting came into contact with an 11-KV high-tension power line in Sirgitti area of Bilaspur on Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm near the water tank in Adarsh Nagar, under Ward No. 11 of the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, where street light installation work was underway. The injured workers were immediately rushed to the district hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
According to the preliminary investigation, the contractor had allegedly failed to provide the labourers with basic safety equipment. The workers were erecting the iron pole directly beneath the high-tension electricity line when it accidentally touched the live wire, causing a powerful electric shock to pass through the structure.
Local residents quickly alerted the police and the Dial-112 emergency service, following which rescue teams shifted the injured to the hospital.
The injured labourers have been identified as Deepak Yadav (30), Mukesh Kumar (38), Sevaram (24), Prahlad Chaurasia (45), and Jayanti Dhurve. All of them are residents of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh.
As per safety regulations, a power shutdown from the electricity department is mandatory before carrying out work beneath high-tension power lines. However, neither the contractor nor the concerned authorities reportedly ensured compliance with the protocol, leaving the workers exposed to serious risk without protective gear.
Civil Lines CSP Nimitesh Singh said the police have launched an investigation into the incident. He added that strict legal action will be taken against the contractor, concerned officials, or the responsible agency if negligence is established during the inquiry.
