Bhopal– In a tragic incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, three members of a family were burned alive on Tuesday morning after their motorcycle came into contact with a live high-tension power line.
The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. in Sarra village, under the jurisdiction of Lanji police station. According to police, the victims were on their way to the Durga temple in Dewalgaon when the motorcycle struck the fallen wire.
The deceased have been identified as Sevak Ram Panche (30), his wife Renuka Panche (28), and his brother Bhojraj Panche (28), all residents of Sarra.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Om Prakash told IANS that preliminary investigations suggest the tragedy was weather-related. Overnight rainfall likely caused a tree branch to fall on an 11 kV power line, pulling the live wire down across the road.
“The motorcycle got entangled in the wire, which immediately caught fire,” Prakash said. “All three died on the spot.”
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his condolences in a post on X (formerly Twitter), calling the incident “deeply painful” and extending sympathies to the victims’ families.
When asked if a case had been registered, the police said no foul play was suspected. “This appears to be an accident due to weather conditions. A MERG (Marginal Entry Report) has been filed following the post-mortem, and further investigation is ongoing,” the officer added.
Local sources said the family had no time to react, as the wire was draped across a curve in the road, making it difficult to see. The power line was reportedly still active at the time of the accident, which led to the fire.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the bodies continued to burn for nearly an hour before emergency responders arrived. Residents also alleged that they had lodged multiple complaints with the electricity department about sagging wires and aging poles in the area, but no action had been taken.
A police official noted that the downed wire was located in a forested section of the road, possibly obscured by vegetation and uneven terrain. (Source: IANS)
