PATRAN, July 16: Three minor sisters were electrocuted to death in their one-room house in Patran town on Wednesday afternoon. Police suspect the children, aged 7, 5, and 3, died after a live fan wire came in contact with an iron bed.
The deceased—Nagma Khatoon (7), Ruqsar (5), and Khushi (3)—were reportedly asleep when the accident occurred. Their parents, both daily wage labourers, were away at work at the time of the incident.
“It appears that a fan wire was loose or damaged and touched the iron bed. The girls, who were probably sleeping, may have come in contact with the electrified surface and were killed instantly,” a police official said at the scene.
The family had recently migrated from Bihar to Punjab for the ongoing paddy cultivation season. Their father, Mohammed Faruqddin, had been working in the area for the past few weeks. He was called home by neighbours after the tragedy was discovered and later gave his statement to the police.
Officials from the police and electricity department reached the site shortly after the incident and carried out a joint inspection. “We have inspected the spot and, prima facie, it appears to be an accident,” the police confirmed.
The bodies have been sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination. The local community, visibly shaken, gathered around the family’s residence as news of the tragedy spread. Many expressed shock and sorrow over the horrific loss.
Authorities have not registered any criminal case yet, but police said they are continuing to examine all angles.
