"Man walking atop electric locomotive jolted by 25000 Volt power narrowly escapes death"

Man walking atop electric locomotive jolted by 25000 Volt power narrowly escapes death

Story by Sagaya FernandoApril 11, 2018

A man in India narrowly escaped death after being hit by a massive 25000 Volt electric power this morning.

The incident took place at Tindivanam railway station in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu during protests called by a political party.

Members of Pattali Makkal Katchi, the political party, were protesting against the Central Government of India for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board as directed by the Supreme Court of India.

The protestors had gathered at the station and had blocked the railway tracks in the morning. At around 10 am, the Chennai Egmore-Guruvayur Express coming from Chennai chugged into the station and the protestors rushed on to the tracks to block it.

Two of the protestors clambered above the electric locomotive of the train and started walking across it. Even as the others on the platform shout at the duo to get off the locomotive, one of them comes in contact with the overhead wires carrying 25000-volt power and is electrocuted. The incident video recorded by bystanders shows the moment the man touches the high voltage wire and is instantly engulfed in fire.

Meanwhile, the other man atop the locomotive jumps to safety.

“The protestor has been identified as 36-years-old Ranjit Kumar of Ayyanthope in Tindivanam. He sustained 40% burn injuries, and was rushed to JIPMER Hospital in Puducherry where he is undergoing treatment,” said Tindivanam Police Station Inspector Narayana Swamy.

The sharing of Cauvery river water has been simmering for a long time between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In February this year, the Apex Court had ordered the Central Government to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of its order, but the government failed to do so within the deadline that ended on March 29. Following this, political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu have been staging protests against the Centre’s inaction.