Kolkata: Five factory workers were electrocuted to death after coming into contact with an 11,000-volt overhead electric line in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district of north Bengal on Sunday, officials said. 

The incident occurred in the Dinhata Village-II Gram Panchayat area under Dinhata police station limits. According to initial reports, an 11,000-volt electric wire snapped and fell on the iron portion of a mixer machine during work at a stone-cutting factory located near the head of a dam.

The workers present at the site were electrocuted, and five of them died on the spot.

According to district administration sources, the deceased have been identified as Mukul Verma, Raju Sen, Mithun Pal, Suman and Sanjay Verman. All were residents of Cooch Behar district.

Police personnel, including the Inspector-in-Charge of Dinhata police station, reached the spot and recovered the bodies. The bodies were sent to a local hospital for post-mortem examination.

Dinhata Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Prashant Debnath told reporters, “Five workers died after being electrocuted while using a lift meant for construction work. It is initially known that three of the five were residents of Bhetaguri and two were from the Okrabari area. It is a very unfortunate incident. The workers died on the spot. The matter will be investigated in a proper manner. The administration will stand by the families of the deceased.”

As news of the accident spread, tension gripped the area. Relatives of several of the deceased rushed to the hospital after receiving the information and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

An investigation has been initiated to ascertain how the accident occurred and whether any negligence led to the deaths.