Two brothers electrocuted in Basti

Gorakhpur: In an accident caused by alleged negligence of electricity department, two brothers were electrocuted in Khuthan village under Nagar police station limits of Basti district on Tuesday morning.The incident occurred around 7:30am when 26-year-old Shashi Bhushan and his younger brother, 23-year-old Vishw Vallabh, were carrying an iron ladder across the village. As they passed beneath a sagging 11,000-volt high-tension wire, the ladder accidentally came in contact with the wire and the high voltage current killed both on the spot. Shashi Bhushan worked as a teacher at a private school, while Vishw Vallabh was employed with Tata Motors. The brothers had borrowed the ladder for some work on their property.Angered by the incident, villagers blocked the Basti-Tanda road and staged a protest, demanding strict action against the officials. Nagar police, led by SHO Devendra Singh, managed to pacify the crowd and clear the blockade. Bodies were sent for post-mortem and an investigation has been initiated, SHO said.