BAGLUNG: Two women were electrocuted in Kathekhola Rural Municipality-6, Bihunkot in Baglung district on Saturday.

Guma Kandel, 25, and Nisha Kandel, 20, died when they were electrocuted on their way to home from the nearby forest, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Baglung Bishwaraj Singh Thapa said.

The two caught live current from a pole of high-voltage transmission line. They had reportedly gone to collect fodder early morning but were found dead during a search by their family members after they failed to return home till late.

Locals have stopped the police personnel from collecting the dead bodies demanding Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) of rightful compensation after bearing responsibility of the incident.

Likewise, the agitated locals brought down the Mid-Hill Highway to a temporary halt demanding NEA to replace the faulty electricity poles in the region.

NEA’s distribution centre in Baglung has admitted that leakage of electricity from wires to the poles had resulted in the fateful incident.

“We reached the incident site to take stock of the situation, however, what has happened is really sad,” Chief at the distribution centre Kapil Raj Pandey said, “There are many electricity poles in need of repair posing threat to public safety and we are trying to replace them.”

NEA’s sole effort will not reduce occurrence of the incidents but consumers must be aware too, Pandey added.