Five of a family electrocuted in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon

Five members of a family, including two boys, were electrocuted after touching a live wire set up around farmland in Jalgaon’s Varkhedi village to deter wild animals. A toddler survived, while police registered a case and launched investigations

Mumbai: Five members of a family, including two boys, died after accidentally coming in contact with a live wire placed around a villager’s farmland to protect crops from wild animals in Jalgaon district of North Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday.

A one-and-a-half-year-old girl escaped unhurt during the incident, an official said, adding that two wild boars were also found dead at the spot.

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The incident took place late at night on Tuesday at Varkhedi village in Erandol and came to light on Wednesday morning, he said.

A man, his wife, an elderly woman and two boys were found dead. Their identity is yet to be ascertained, he said.

“A villager, who was passing by the agriculture field owned by one Bandu Patil, saw five persons lying motionless and a girl child crying close to them. He tried to wake them up, but did not get any response, following which he alerted the village head and the police,” he said.

A team of police personnel rushed to the spot and took all the persons to a hospital, where they were declared dead, the official said.

The toddler girl was taken to a police station, where she is being looked after at present, he said.

Police officials said the deceased family members going on foot might have come in contact with the live wire placed around the farm to prevent wild animals from damaging the crops.

A case is being registered at Erandol and a search for the family members of the deceased persons was on, the official said.