In a tragic incident, a Dalit couple was electrocuted in a rain-soaked sugarcane field at Bodulabanda village in Nelakondapalli mandal on Thursday.
The victims were identified as T. Anand Rao, 60, and his wife Parvathamma, 55, both farm labourers of Bodulabanda.
Sources said the couple was hired by a local sugarcane farmer to straighten the rain-soaked sugarcane plants in his agricultural field on Thursday morning.
Parvathamma reportedly came in contact with a snapped live electric wire stuck in slush in the partially waterlogged sugarcane field. She suffered electric shock and died instantly.
Anand Rao was also electrocuted while trying to save his wife.
Sources said that the live wire got detached from the electric pole abutting the agricultural field due to gusty winds that lashed the village on Wednesday night.
Sources close to the family of the victims said the tragedy would not have occurred had the sugarcane farmer, who engaged the duo in farm work, alerted the TSNPDCL linemen about the snapped live wire in time and the staff concerned attended to it promptly.
They demanded that the authorities provide adequate ex-gratia to the bereaved family members of the deceased couple and take appropriate measures to prevent recurrence of such tragic incidents.
The Nelakondapalli police registered a case and are investigating.
