One dead after power line drops on vehicle in Meghalaya

Shillong: An 11-KV power line snapped and crashed onto a moving passenger vehicle in Meghalaya on Monday, September 28. The deadly accident occurred near Umkiang in the East Jaintia Hills district. Flames consumed the car immediately. One person died. Another passenger suffered injuries during the blaze.

The vehicle traveled along the Barak-Guwahati National Highway toward the Barak Valley when the high-voltage line struck. Local witnesses feared a higher death toll. "Witnesses at the scene feared that several people may have been killed in the blaze," but officials have confirmed only one fatality so far.

Police and Fire and Emergency Services personnel arrived to douse the wreckage. Authorities rescued one injured survivor from the scene. Officials have yet to identify the victim or confirm exactly how many people were inside the vehicle. Investigators must now determine why the power line fell onto the busy road.