Jaya aide Sasikala meets kin of temple chariot tragedy victims in Thanjavur

Eleven people including three children were electrocuted after a temple chariot procession came in contact with a live wire while negotiating a turn on Wednesday.The incident took place at around 3 am near Kalimedu, when the Appar Swamy temple chariot procession was underway.

Published on: Apr 28, 2022, 07:08:30 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Aryan Prakash

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Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader VK Sasikala on Thursday met the family members of the deceased in Thanjavur, who lost their lives after a temple car came in contact with a live wire during a chariot festival.

VK Sasikala meets family members of the victims of Thanjavur temple chariot procession.  (Twitter/ANI)

In photos shared by news agency ANI, Sasikala was seen consoling the family members of the victims. Eleven people including three children were electrocuted after a temple chariot procession came in contact with a high-voltage wire on Wednesday.

The incident took place at around 3 am near Kalimedu, when the Appar Swamy temple chariot procession was underway. At least 15 people are said to be injured, with the police officials estimating that the death toll could mount.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin met the injured at the Thanjavur Government Medical College and Hospital. The chief minister has announced financial assistance of ₹1 lakh each for the severely injured and ₹50,000 each for the injured.

"It is a tragic and painful incident. We have ordered government officials to take action on this issue. I have conveyed my condolences to the bereaved families," Stalin told reporters.

ALSO READ: Festivities turn into tragedy as pall of gloom descends on Thanjavur village

The state government has also announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased while ₹2 lakhs will be given from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) trust to them.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of the deceased.

An FIR has been registered in connection with the case and investigation is underway.

Sasikala, a close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, was recently questioned by the The Special Investigation Team probing the 2017 Kodanad heist-cum-murder case.

Some articles had gone missing and the watchman at the Kodanad bungalow, which belonged to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, was found murdered after thieves allegedly broke into it. Later, a driver at the estate, Kanagaraj, also died in an accident among others.

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