Teacher Killed as Fourteen Power Poles Collapse

A primary school teacher has been killed and two others critically injured following a mass collapse of electricity pylons in Gazipur’s Kaliganj. The incident occurred on Tuesday, 5 May, in the Shimulia area along the Tongi-Kaliganj road, causing widespread panic and significant traffic disruption.

Incident Overview

At approximately 16:00 local time, a cement utility pole situated near a Palli Bidyut (Rural Electrification Board) substation suddenly buckled and fell onto the highway. The tension from the connected overhead cables triggered a chain reaction, pulling down a further 13 to 14 poles in succession.

The falling infrastructure struck an auto-rickshaw passing through the area at the time of the collapse. Witnesses reported loud electrical discharges and short-circuiting as live wires were strewn across the road, leading to an immediate halt in traffic.

Casualties and Injuries

The deceased has been identified as Shiuli Begum, 45, an assistant teacher at Tumulia Government Primary School. A resident of Shimulia and a mother of two, she succumbed to injuries sustained when the equipment fell on the vehicle.

Two other passengers sustained life-threatening injuries:

• Tanmoy, 16, from the Bhaktarpur area.

• Puja Rani Debnath, 20, from the Tumulia Mission area.

Both victims were initially transported to the Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex. Due to the severity of their conditions, they were subsequently transferred to a hospital in Dhaka for specialist treatment.

Technical Failures and Safety Violations

Reports from sources within the electricity department suggest that standard safety protocols were ignored during the installation of the pylons. According to Palli Bidyut regulations, the depth of a pole’s foundation must be at least one-sixth of its total length.

For poles measuring between 50 and 60 feet, a significantly deeper placement is required. However, investigations indicate the collapsed poles were buried only three to four feet deep, providing insufficient structural integrity.

Official Response

Additional Superintendent of Police, Md. Asaduzzaman, and the Officer-in-Charge of Kaliganj Police Station, Md. Zakir Hossain, confirmed the fatality and stated that legal proceedings are being initiated.

Efforts to reach the Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Kaliganj Palli Bidyut, Md. Akter Hossain, for an official statement were unsuccessful as he did not respond to multiple telephone enquiries. Normal traffic flow resumed around 19:00 after emergency crews cleared the debris and deactivated the live lines.