Overview

• Late on Sunday, a breakdown in the towing vehicle prompted devotees to pull the decorated chariot manually through Gokulnagar, where its iron frame touched sagging high-tension lines.
• Nine devotees sustained electric shocks; five men died on the spot and their bodies were taken to Gandhi Hospital for postmortem, while four others were hospitalized with severe injuries.
• Authorities identified the deceased as Krishna Yadav (21), Suresh Yadav (34), Srikanth Reddy (35), Rudra Vikas (39) and Rajendra Reddy (45), and noted that injured devotee Srinivas serves as a security aide to Union Minister Kishan Reddy.
• Uppal police have registered a formal inquiry and are gathering witness statements and technical assessments to determine how the chariot struck the power lines.
• Officials including Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao expressed condolences and warned that downpours can cause power lines to sag along procession routes.