Mumbai: Two killed in Ambedkar Jayanti rally; pothole blamed

The spot where the incident happened, in Virar. Pics/Hanif Patel

A rally on the eve of Ambedkar Jayanti took a tragic turn when a cart being pulled by youths hit a pothole and a part of it touched a transformer in Virar on Thursday, said witnesses. Two youngsters died from electrocution, while five were hurt.. Even 24 hours after the tragedy, the civic body failed to attend to the pothole. The deceased have been identified as Sumeet Shivaji Sood, 28, and Rupesh Sharad Surve, 20.

Rupesh S. Surve and Sumeet S. Sood

"It was a celebratory evening and close to 200 people had joined the rally in Virar East. Everything went smoothly until the rally ended. While returning, the cart hit a pothole and tilted, with a rod attached to it hitting the transformer at the spot. I got a severe electric shock and thought I had lost my hands," recalled Ashmit Kamble, who is among five people injured in the mishap.

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After pulling himself together, he saved three others. "There was chaos. Everyone was screaming for help, so for a moment I forgot about my wounds and managed to help as many as I could. Later, others saw me injured and rushed me to a hospital," said Kamble, who sustained injuries to both his legs and the right hand. His mother Anita said, "The incident took place around 10.30 pm and I learnt about it around 11 pm. I informed my elder son who rushed to the hospital."

The spot where the accident happened, in Virar East. Pics/Hanif Patel

Sources told mid-day that a group of youngsters were playing music on the cart. Those who were on the trolley remained unharmed as the surface was made of wood, they added. "Three of the injured are at Kasturba hospital, while two others are at Nalasopara hospitals," said Virar East Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ramchandra Deshmukh.

Ashmit Kamble undergoes treatment at hospital

Three of the injured victims, Rahul Jagtap, 18, Umesh Kannaujia and Satyanarayan Pandit, 23, "have received serious burns, their condition is said to be stable," said Deshmukh. "The other two, Ashmit Kamble, 32, and Rohit Gaikwad, have received mild injuries," he added. "Those who were pulling and pushing the metal cart got either severe electric jolts or serious burns," Deshmukh said. Senior Inspector Rajendra Kamble of Virar police station said, "We are in the process of registering an accidental death report (ADR) in connection with the incident. Our further investigations are underway."

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No of people injured in the incident on Thursday