Hyderabad: Electric shock kills 2 at Ayyappa puja pandal

Hyderabad: Two persons were electrocuted when they were setting up a pandal for an Ayyappa puja at Mettuguda on Tuesday.

A 14-foot pole that D. Shiva Kumar, 25, a worker, and R. Kalyan, a first year Intermediate student, were carrying, touched low-hanging power cables, resulting in their death.

Shiva’s neighbour M. Mahesh Babu said locals had called the emergency ambulance service 108 but the staff responded only 25 minutes later. By that time, locals had taken them to Gandhi Hospital in an autorickshaw.

Kalyan’s father Ramesh said the cables were hanging after a tree branch fell on them a few months ago and had not been repaired despite complaints.

The TS Southern Power Distribution Company denied responsibility for the incident, and said carpeting of the road had led to an increase in level, making the electric cables accessible.