A private school teacher lost his life to electrocution, and three students suffered injuries after an iron flagpole accidentally contacted an overhead high-tension wire during Independence Day preparations in Odisha’s Balasore district on Saturday, police said.
The fatal accident occurred at Maitapur in Simulia block. The deceased was identified as Priyabrata Behera (26), a physical education teacher, they said.
According to police, Behera was carrying a long iron pipe to set up a flag post when he lost balance, causing the pole to lean into a live 11-kV overhead electrical line.
The severe high-voltage shock knocked Behera down; although bystanders rushed him to the Bhadrak district headquarters hospital immediately, where doctors declared him dead, they said.
Three students who attempted to save their teacher were also suffered electric shock and were subsequently admitted to Simulia hospital, where they were discharged after receiving primary medical treatment, police said.
In a separate Independence Day mishap within the district, eight school children alongside their auto-rickshaw driver sustained injuries when their vehicle flipped over en route to an official event.
The accident occurred at Sathi in Bahanaga block, police said.
Local rendered immediate aid and transported the injured students and the driver to Soro hospital. The driver was later shifted to the Balasore district headquarters hospital after his condition deteriorated, they said.
