Kalimedu tragedy: One-man panel begins second-day inquiry

Chennai: The one-man panel headed by Tamil Nadu Principal Secretary (Revenue) Kumar Jayanth has begun the second-day inquiry to assess the cause of electrocution during the temple festival on Wednesday.

He held meetings with Thanjavur district collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver, SP Ravali Priya, and officials from the Revenue, EB, and Highways department. He asked questions like how the temple car turned, up to what height of the car was decorated with serial lights.

The EB officials responded to him on why wasn't the power shutdown during the car procession saying people failed to inform them to suspend electricity. The panel noted that despite the canopy-like setting on the car could have been lowered when it reached the accident spot, but it wasn't lowered. Kumar Jayanth conducted the inquiry with photographs of the accident at the spot where it occurred.

In the early hours of Wednesday, 11 persons were electrocuted after a temple car came into contact with the live electric line at Kalimedu village in Thanjavur during the guru puja festival of Appar. 17 others were injured and are being treated at the Thanjavur Government Hospital.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh each for the 11 victims. The government then set up a one-man panel to find facts behind the accident and submit a report with measures to prevent such mishaps in the future.