AGARTALA, June 9: A family in East Churaibari village under North Tripura district had a miraculous escape on Tuesday morning after the guard wall of an 11 KV electric transmission tower collapsed onto their house during heavy rainfall, causing extensive property damage but no casualties.
The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. at the residence of Anowara Begum in Ward No. 3 of East Churaibari. Fortunately, none of the family members were inside the house when the accident took place. Begum had already left for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), while other members of the household were away on their daily engagements.
The collapse severely damaged parts of the house, including the kitchen and bathroom. The impact also crushed sections of the tin roof and killed several domestic poultry reared by the family, resulting in significant financial losses.
Speaking after the incident, Anowara Begum accused the authorities responsible for maintaining the electric tower of negligence. She claimed that soil erosion around the tower’s foundation had been a recurring problem and had previously caused damage in the area. Despite repeated inspections by concerned officials, she alleged that no effective preventive measures were taken.
“The condition of the tower had been deteriorating for a long time. Officials visited the site on several occasions, but no timely action was taken to strengthen the structure or address the erosion problem,” Begum said.
Following the incident, the affected family approached the local panchayat and district administration seeking compensation for the damage caused to their property.
Residents of the village have also expressed concern over the safety of similar electric towers and related infrastructure, particularly during the ongoing monsoon season. They urged authorities to conduct urgent inspections and undertake necessary repairs to prevent such incidents from recurring elsewhere and posing a threat to lives and property.
