What happened here
On the evening of 21 October 2026 a rod or frame on a tractor-trolley carrying a Durga idol touched an 11 kV overhead line near the Rajhi crossing, Gulriha, Gorakhpur. Three young men died and nine to ten were burnt. Accounts differ on whether the power was off and then restored. Two constables were suspended and an inquiry is under way.
Quick answers
What happened in Gorakhpur on 21 October 2026?
A tractor-trolley carrying devotees and a Durga idol to the immersion touched an 11 kV overhead line near the Rajhi crossing, Gulriha, at about 5 p.m. Three young men died and nine to ten were burnt.
How many people were injured?
Reports differ: 7 (Patrika, UNI), 9 (ETV Bharat, Amrit Vichar) or 10 (Aaj Tak, India TV). The District Magistrate said they were stable at BRD Medical College.
Was the electricity switched off?
Accounts conflict. Some say the line was cut and then restored as the trolley arrived; villagers say a shutdown was asked for and not given; Amar Ujala says police allegedly relied on a verbal assurance. It is not yet confirmed.
Who has been suspended?
Two constables, by the SSP, who also ordered a departmental inquiry. Media reports say a junior engineer was suspended and a lineman's services ended, but we could not confirm this officially.
What should you do if someone touches a live wire?
Do not touch them. Get the supply cut at source, call 112, keep back at least 8 metres from a high-voltage line, and give first aid only once the power is confirmed off.
What happened
On the evening of Wednesday, 21 October 2026 (Vijayadashami), a tractor-trolley carrying devotees and a Durga idol to the immersion came into contact with an overhead 11 kV line near the Rajhi crossing, close to Ayodhya Prasad Chauhan Tola in the Gulriha police station area of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Three young men died. Nine were burnt and taken to BRD Medical College, according to ETV Bharat and Amrit Vichar, while Aaj Tak and India TV said ten. The time was about 5 p.m. (ETV Bharat, India TV). Kalinga TV gives 4 to 4.30 p.m.
The idol had been installed at Jangal Ayodhya Prasad village and was being taken towards Kolua Ghat, Amrit Vichar reports. District Magistrate Deepak Meena said the devotees were riding the tractor-trolley when a long rod on it touched the line. Reports name the metal part differently: a rod (DM, Aaj Tak, India TV), the iron railing of the DJ set-up (Amrit Vichar, Amar Ujala), a flag pipe (an eyewitness in ETV Bharat) and the idol’s iron support structure (Kalinga TV). Whichever it was, a metal structure standing high on a trolley reached a live conductor and the current passed into the people on it. Amrit Vichar puts the voltage at 11,000 volts. According to an eyewitness in ETV Bharat, one youth fell after the shock and two others were caught by the current.
Bystanders helped to carry the injured to hospital (Patrika). Doctors at BRD Medical College declared three dead on arrival (Amrit Vichar).
Was the power off?
This is the central dispute, and the reports do not agree.
- Aaj Tak and Patrika say the electricity department had cut the supply to the line beforehand and that supply was restored while the procession was moving, or as the trolley reached the crossing.
- An eyewitness quoted by ETV Bharat said there was no electricity in the area until about 3 p.m. and that the group set out after supply came back. ETV Bharat itself does not say who restored it.
- Villagers told Amrit Vichar that the department had been asked for a shutdown during the immersion but the supply stayed on. No official response to this was reported.
- Amar Ujala (22 October) reports that four idols had already been immersed earlier with the power off. When the fifth procession moved, the two police constables on duty allegedly said the power was off and told the vehicle to go ahead. Amar Ujala adds that it is still unclear whether the electricity department had actually confirmed the shutdown, and that the constables allegedly asked for an iron angle on the trolley to be removed but the puja committee did not agree.
We therefore cannot say who switched the line on, or whether anyone had confirmed in writing that it was dead. These are allegations and early accounts, and the inquiry has to establish them.
The people
The three who died were aged about 17 to 21, and ETV Bharat, Amrit Vichar and Prabhat Khabar describe them as two brothers and their maternal cousin. We are not naming them, out of respect for the family. Early reports from Patrika and UNI said seven injured, ETV Bharat and Amrit Vichar nine, Aaj Tak and India TV ten. Amrit Vichar says twelve people in all felt the current. Patrika wrote that five of the seven injured were critical, but District Magistrate Deepak Meena said the injured were out of danger and stable (Amrit Vichar, Kalinga TV). One of the two constables with the procession also received a shock and is under treatment (Amar Ujala, Kalinga TV). One UNI line mentions “four deceased”, which contradicts its own headline and every other report, so we have not used it.
Response and action taken
Relatives and locals gathered outside BRD Medical College. Around 6 p.m. villagers blocked the Gorakhpur-Maharajganj four-lane near the college gate for about three hours, and two PAC battalions were deployed; the jam cleared at about 7.40 p.m. (Amrit Vichar). SSP Dr Kaustubh said all demands made by the families had been accepted (ETV Bharat Hindi, Kalinga TV). The reports we opened do not say what those demands or any compensation amount were.
Police. Two constables on procession duty were suspended for alleged negligence and the SSP ordered a departmental inquiry, according to Amar Ujala (22 October), which says they are accused of moving the procession on without coordinating with the electricity department.
Electricity department. Reports differ. ETV Bharat Hindi, Amrit Vichar and Kalinga TV say a junior engineer was suspended; Amrit Vichar and ETV Bharat Hindi say the concerned lineman’s services were terminated, Kalinga TV says he was suspended, and Prabhat Khabar says two linemen were dismissed. Amar Ujala’s report mentions no department action. We treat the junior engineer suspension and the lineman action as reported by media but not confirmed by an official statement we could open.
Inquiry. ETV Bharat Hindi says a three-member committee was formed (Additional District Magistrate City, Additional SP City and the Superintending Engineer, Rural Electricity) to report within three days. We found no FIR, no named accused and no compensation amount in any of the reports opened.
Why this matters
Immersion processions get taller every year. A DJ frame, a flag pole, a pandal arch or the idol itself can stand four or five metres above the trolley bed, while a rural 11 kV line is commonly strung only a few metres higher. A metal rod that reaches a high-voltage line turns the whole trolley into a conductor, and everyone standing on it takes the current. Statewide on Vijayadashami, Prabhat Khabar counted 19 deaths in Uttar Pradesh during immersion and fairs: 11 by drowning, 5 in road crashes and these 3 by electrocution. The day before, we reported a boat capsize at Kota, and our festival review of Dussehra fairs and Durga immersion covers the wider pattern.
The other lesson is about trusting a spoken assurance. Even in the most favourable account, the supply to the line was off for part of the route and then came back, and the only guarantee was someone saying it was off. A line is safe only when the authority that controls it has confirmed the shutdown for the whole route and time, and the same authority has been told when the procession is finished.
Lessons for organisers
- Survey the route in daylight, before the day. Walk or drive it with the electricity department’s junior engineer or lineman. Note every crossing and bend where overhead lines, service wires or low cables cross the road, and measure the clear height.
- Keep the load lower than the lowest wire. Measure the tallest point of the trolley with the idol, DJ frame, flags, poles and any iron angles, and keep a wide margin below the lowest line on the route. Metal rods and railings are the worst, since they conduct. If the load cannot pass, change the route or cut the frame down; do not rely on lifting wires with a stick.
- Get the shutdown in writing and know who confirms it. Ask the department for a written shutdown covering the route and the time window, with the name and number of the person who will confirm it is off, and again when it is safe to restore. A policeman, driver or neighbour saying “power is off” is not confirmation. Treat every line as live until the named person says otherwise.
- Stop the procession if the plan changes. If the route changes, the procession runs late or one more idol is added, the shutdown window may no longer match. Halt and call the department.
- Put a trained spotter ahead and one beside the load. The spotter calls out every wire and says stop. Nobody should stand on top of the load or hold a flag or pole upright near a line.
- Keep crowds off the trolley. Limit the number who ride, and keep non-essential people, especially teenagers and children, walking behind rather than standing on the load.
- Police and the committee must share the duty. Escort officers should know the route plan and who to call, and the puja committee should agree to remove any metal that sticks up, as Amar Ujala says was asked here.
If someone touches a live line
- Do not touch the victim or the trolley. The current may still be passing through the vehicle and the person, and you will be shocked too. Victoria’s Better Health Channel says to disconnect the power supply first and not to touch the person until you are sure the power is off.
- Get the supply switched off at source. Shout for the line to be cut, and phone the nearest electricity office or the state electricity helpline, but only use a number you have checked on the department’s own website or your electricity bill. For danger to life call 112; 108 for an ambulance and 101 for the fire service. These are the Uttar Pradesh numbers and the national numbers can differ, so check them before the festival.
- Stay well away from a high-voltage line that is touching a vehicle or the ground. St John Western Australia says to stay at least 8 metres away until told it is safe, and Better Health Channel says more than 8 to 10 metres. Keep the crowd back as well. These are guidelines from Australian health bodies; Indian electricity departments may give their own distances.
- Do not use a stick near a high-voltage line. Health bodies suggest pushing a person clear with something dry that does not conduct only when the supply cannot be switched off and it is otherwise safe. With an 11 kV line that is not a safe option for an untrained bystander, since the current can arc across a distance and a damp or long pole may conduct. Wait for the supply to be cut.
- Once it is safe, check breathing. If the person is not breathing normally, start CPR and send someone for an ambulance.
First aid for electrical burns
- Cool the burnt area with cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible (NHS, St John WA, Better Health Channel).
- Remove clothing and jewellery from the area unless it is stuck to the skin (NHS, St John WA).
- Cover loosely with a clean, non-stick dressing, or cling film laid on, not wrapped around (NHS, Better Health Channel). Do not burst blisters and do not apply creams, oils or butter.
- Every electric shock needs hospital review, even if the person seems well, because the heart can be affected and some injuries are not visible at first (Better Health Channel). The NHS lists a burn caused by electricity as needing emergency care. Entry and exit burns can be deeper than they look.
- Keep the person still and warm, talk to them, and tell the ambulance crew how long they were in contact.
What is still not known
It is not yet known exactly which part of the load touched the line, who restored the supply and on whose instruction, whether a written shutdown was ever issued, or what the three-member committee will find. The junior engineer and lineman actions are reported by media but not confirmed officially. We found no FIR, no named accused and no compensation amount. The nine or ten injured are described as stable, but a later change cannot be ruled out. We will update this page when the committee or the police publish findings.
More on Gorakhpur: see our Gorakhpur fire and emergency safety guide for emergency numbers and the local risks to know.
- Power reported off in the area until about 3 p.m. (ETV Bharat eyewitness); four earlier idols immersed with power off (Amar Ujala)
- Tractor-trolley with the fifth idol reaches the Rajhi crossing; a metal part touches the 11 kV line; three die and others are burnt
- Injured taken to BRD Medical College; crowd gathers; villagers block the Gorakhpur-Maharajganj four-lane for about three hours; PAC deployed
- Road jam cleared; SSP says families' demands accepted
- Two constables and, per reports, a junior engineer suspended; lineman action reported; inquiry committee formed
- Amar Ujala reports the SSP's departmental inquiry and the allegation that the procession moved on without coordination
Why consequences escalated
- A metal structure standing high on a trolley touched an 11 kV overhead line and the current passed through the people on it.
- Whether the supply had been switched off and was restored, or never cut, is disputed and not officially settled.
- Amar Ujala reports that four idols passed earlier with the power off and that police relied on a verbal assurance that it was off.
- Two constables were suspended; junior engineer and lineman action is reported but not confirmed.
- Injured counts range from 7 to 10 across reports; the DM said they were stable.
Failures and risk multipliers
- A metal rod, frame or railing was raised high on a trolley moving along a route with a live overhead line.
- Relying on a verbal 'power is off' assurance instead of a confirmed, written shutdown for the whole route and time.
- Moving on to a further idol without checking that the shutdown window still applied (alleged; under inquiry).
- Many people standing on top of the trolley load.
- A request to remove an iron angle from the trolley was reportedly not accepted (Amar Ujala; allegation).
Actions that reduce risk
- Survey the route with the electricity department and measure line heights against the tallest point of the load.
- Get a written shutdown with a named confirming person, and again before restoring supply.
- Keep metal frames, poles and flags well below the lowest wire; cut or change the route if needed.
- Do not touch a person in contact with a live line; get the supply cut at source and call 112.
- Cool electrical burns with running water for 20 minutes and take every shock victim to hospital.
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