15 killed after power transformer explodes in Uttarakhand's Chamoli; CM orders magisterial probe

Fifteen people were killed and several injured after a power transformer exploded on the
banks of the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, said an official on Wednesday (July 19).

The injured have been rushed to the district hospital. The fifteen people who have died in this tragic accident include a police sub-inspector and five home guards, said the additional director general of police V Murugesan. According to Murugesan, there was a current on the railing and investigations are on to find out more details on how the accident happened.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he has initiated a magisterial inquiry to probe the power transformer explosion incident. “It is a sad incident. District administration, police, and SDRF have reached the spot. The injured are being referred to higher centres and are being shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh via helicopter. Orders have been given to conduct a magisterial inquiry,” he said, according to media reports.

(With agency inputs)