Rural Sports Event Turns Tragic Due to Exposed Wires, Sparking Demands for Village Infrastructure Upgrades
Published on: September 29, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Kondagaon, India
A joyous kabaddi tournament in Kondagaon district turned deadly on September 29, 2025, when three young players succumbed to electrocution, with two others in critical condition, exposing glaring safety lapses in rural Chhattisgarh’s community events. The incident occurred at a village ground in Keshkal block during an inter-panchayat match, where players collided with sagging overhead power lines inadequately insulated for the monsoon-dampened field.
Victims, aged 18-25 and from nearby Adivasi hamlets, suffered severe burns; rescuers used bamboo poles to disentangle them before airlifting to Raipur’s AIIMS. Preliminary probe by the district electricity board points to faulty wiring from a nearby substation, violating safety norms under the Electricity Act, 2003.
Also read- https://www.btnewsindia.com/livestock-fair-and-veterinary-camp-draw-enthusiastic-participation-in-rajnandgaon/ https://www.btnewsindia.com/p-l-bairagi-appointed-national-patron-of-all-india-pujari-purohit-association/
Chief Minister Sai expressed grief, ordering ₹5 lakh ex-gratia per family and a statewide audit of 2,000 rural sports venues. Local MLA Kawasi Lakhma, from Congress, accused the BJP regime of neglecting tribal electrification, noting 15 similar mishaps in Bastar since 2023.
The tragedy has ignited statewide protests, with kabaddi federations suspending events until insulated infrastructure is mandated. In a state where rural sports foster unity amid Naxal tensions, this incident amplifies calls for ₹500 crore in village safety funds, blending grief with urgent reform imperatives.
