West Champaran Community Mourns After 11kV Line Strikes Kalash Yatra Participants

A sorrowful scene marked the first day of Navratri in West Champaran as an 11,000‑volt power line struck the Kalash Yatra convoy near Khatauri village. While children rode a trolley to perform the traditional water‑offering, the vehicle touched the live wire.

The shock resulted in the immediate death of two youngsters and left more than a dozen with severe burns. Emergency services transferred the injured to the Ramnagar Community Health Centre, where they remain under intensive medical supervision.

Residents have expressed deep grief and frustration, accusing the power department of negligence for allowing the cable to hang too low over a public pathway. Community leaders are urging authorities to relocate the line and improve safety protocols.