Noida: Five persons, including two teenagers, suffered burns and a scooter parked nearby caught fire after an 11kV high-tension power line snapped and fell on a road in Chhijarsi Colony under Sector 63 police station limits on Wednesday.Police said the incident occurred around 7 pm when the live wire broke and crashed onto the road, sending out sparks. It caused panic in the densely populated neighbourhood. Five passers-by — Nidhi (15), Priya (17), Mukesh Ram (38), Pavitra (41) and Ravi Chaudhury — who were in the vicinity of the wire were injured.Eyewitnesses said the wire snapped all of a sudden. They rushed to rescue the injured, moved them away from the live wire and alerted the police and the electricity department.A police team reached the spot and rushed the injured people to a nearby hospital. Officers ensured that power supply to the affected line was disconnected. Police said Ravi Chaudhary suffered serious burns and remains in critical condition, while the other four are stable.No formal complaint has been lodged till the filing of the report. Police said legal action would be initiated if it is filed.Meanwhile, the electricity department has launched an investigation to determine why the 11 kV overhead line snapped. Officials suspect a technical fault may have caused the incident, though only a detailed inquiry will ascertain the reason.Noida power department’s superintending engineer Vivek Kumar Patel said the area where the incident occurred falls in the floodplain area, which is known for electricity theft by locals. The fault that caused the live wire to snap might have been a result of such illegal activities. All the injured people will be provided with assistance and compensation, he said.The compensation will be decided after the department concludes its investigation. The potential payouts can reach up to nearly Rs 7 lakh for critical cases.
