At least 11 electrocuted during Tamil Nadu temple procession

A freak electrocution in southern India killed at least 11 people, including two children, when their vehicle snagged overhead transmission lines and burst into flame as they rode in a religious procession.

More than a dozen people were also injured in the district of Thanjavur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu after the vehicle, a 9-ft-high structure fashioned in the form of a chariot and pulled by worshippers, hit the high-voltage lines.

"I hope those injured recover soon," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, as he offered condolences to the bereaved.

Some of the injured were hurt when they fell after suffering electric shocks, and others while scrambling to escape the flames.

The chariot, which had been wending its way back to a nearby temple, was left a charred ruin.

Fire engines and local officials joined the rescue effort.

Tamil Nadu | At least 10 people died after a temple car (of chariot festival) came in contact with a live wire in the Thanjavur district. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/clhjADE6J3

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2022