Relatives mourn in Rupahi Khatorgaon Pictures by PTI and Manash Das

Six villagers were electrocuted and seven seriously injured while fishing in a pond in a village in Nagaon district on Friday morning, after a high-voltage overhead cable snapped and fell in the water.

“As soon as they stepped into the water, they were dragged in and seven of them died instantaneously,” said a resident of Rupahi Khatorgaon, around 15km from here.

The deceased have been identified as Ashikul Islam, Rafiqul Islam, Riyajul Islam, Jabbar Ali, Mahibul Islam and Samsuddin.

The injured were admitted to Nagaon civil hospital.

The condition of Anjarul Islam is critical.

Locals said they noticed the snapped 11kV cable early in the morning and reported the matter to the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) power station at Samaguri to shut down supply. The villagers who went fishing did not know about the snapped cable, they said.

The 11kV line connects Samaguri power station with Juria in the district.

“Had the Samaguri power station officials listened to us, the accident would not have occurred. We want a high-level inquiry,” said Majibur Rahman, a schoolteacher.

Agitated villagers later damaged the residence of an ASEB employee and broke a vehicle parked outside.

State power minister Tapan Gogoi and Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) chairman Jishnu Barua visited Rupahihat in the afternoon and instructed the district administration to institute a high-level inquiry into the incident.

The state government also announced Rs 2.5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal later ordered an inquiry, to be conducted by Barua, who is also the additional chief secretary.

A statement from the chief minister’s office said the inquiry will ascertain the circumstances leading to the electrocution and submit a report immediately. It said the “bizarre” incident took place when an overhead high-voltage cable snapped. Nagaon deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu said three personnel of Samaguri power station, sub-divisional officer Pallab Das, junior engineer S. Pradhan and lineman Fakrul Islam, have been suspended.

Assam Congress president Ripun Bora demanded the resignation of the power minister. “Several tragic incidents have taken place over the past two years. The department has not taken any steps to stop them. Power minister Tapan Gogoi should resign acknowledging his failure to prevent the electrocution,” Bora said.

Some people alleged the villagers tried to connect an electric motor to the high-voltage cable to pump out water from the pond. However, police ruled out the probability.