At least 15 people have died after being electrocuted during protests a day after a man died of electrocution at a government project site in India, officials and the press said on Thursday.
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At least 11 other people were injured in the accident in Chamoli district in the northern state of Uttarakhand.
The death of a project site guard from electrocution late Tuesday, whose body was found by his family on Wednesday, led to a demonstration in which 15 other people were electrocuted in turn, according to authorities.
According to the daily Hindustani Timethe guard died after touching the fence, as did other residents who died the next day.
Newspaper Indian Express reported Thursday that several people also suffered “serious burns”.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the tragedy “heartbreaking”.
Chamoli district’s top official, Himanshu Khurana, told AFP on Wednesday that an investigation was underway into the cause of the crash, which killed at least four security officers.
India has been hit by heavy rains in recent days, and dozens of people have died in floods and landslides.
