5 of a family electrocuted by PBS wire in Kushtia

Five members of a family including four women were electrocuted when they came in touch with snapped live wire of PBS.

The victims are Selim Uddin, 9, son of Delwar, Asura Khatun, 40, wife of Sultan Uddin, Maleka Khatun, 40, wife of Alauddin, Rebeka, 35, wife of Jalal Uddin and Saheda Khatun, 42.

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Angry people also confined a lineman of PBS named Mosarraf Hossain and gave him a good beating when he was going to the office in the morning, according to police. Later, he was rescued by police.

Police force was deployed at the PBS office when people staged a sit-in demonstration on the PBS office premises.

According to police, Selim and Asura went to remove a snapped wire of PBS from a pond.

When they came in contact with snapped wire, they were electrocuted.

Hearing cry for help, four female members of their family, Maleka, Rebeka, Saheda and Rozina rushed there. They were also electrocuted when they tried to rescue them.

Of them, Selim and Asura, Maleka, Rebeka and Saheda died on the way to Kushtia General Hospital while Rozina remained unconscious in the hospital.

The cable fell down due to fault in work.

Local people told newsmen just after the incident, they complained to the Zonal Palli Biduyt office, situated only half a kilometer off the spot, but the Palli Biduyt staff ignored their complaint.

When contacted, the Palli Biduyt authorities told this correspondent they already formed a committee to probe into the incident.