Bhagalpur, Oct. 2: Police last night arrested three employees of a franchise company that supplies power to Bhagalpur town and adjoining areas after two persons died and 35 persons were injured when electric wires snapped and fell on a Muharram procession at Agarpur Machipur under Lodipur police station in the district headquarters town.

Two more persons died and 13 more persons were injured in a similar incident Milki village under Bihpur police station in Naugachia.

In both incidents, high-voltage electric wires snapped and fell on the processions. In both incidents, police blamed the electricity distribution company for not switching off power as instructed. For the incident at Machipur, the cops arrested a junior engineer, an operator and a grid in-charge of Bhagalpur Electricity Distribution Company Pvt Ltd.

Bhagalpur senior superintendent of police Manoj Kumar said the deceased in Machipur were identified as Md Anzarul (35) of Ghoritya village and Md Kamran (20) of Agarpur. SSP Kumar said preliminary investigation revealed 'criminal negligence' at the power substation located at Surajmahal Pokhar.

'Police arrested three employees posted at the power substation of the area last night. They had ignored instructions to discontinue power supply during the Muharram procession,' the SSP said.

At Milki village, the dead were identified as Mahamud (50) and Md Imtiyaz (21). Naugachia superintendent of police Pankaj Kumar Sinha also blamed the mishap on the failure of power officials to discontinue electricity supply, and said an FIR has been lodged against the erring officials.

Sources from Naugachia, however, said tension has been mounting as no action has been taken yet against the power officials.