A Muharram procession turned into a tragedy in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district on Thursday night when a tazia struck a high-tension electricity line in Hatnara village under Piploda police station limits, sending a violent current through the crowd. Three people were killed and more than ten others injured, five of them critically.

Around 200 people were part of the procession when the tazia came into contact with the overhead line, which witnesses said was passing at a dangerously low height — approximately 10 feet from the ground in some accounts, 20 feet in others. The moment the tazia touched the wire, current surged through it and into the crowd walking ahead. People collapsed where they stood. Screams broke out, and the procession descended into panic within seconds.

All three who died were brought to hospital without a pulse. Duty doctor Dr. Ravindra Solanki at Ratlam Medical College confirmed that three people were declared dead on arrival. Two of the bodies were taken away by family members before formal documentation could be completed; one body remains in the medical college mortuary. The deceased have been identified as Rashid Khan, Saddu Hussain, and Arbaz Khan. District administration has officially confirmed two deaths, with the third pending paperwork.

Among those admitted to Ratlam Medical College are Anas, 16, son of Akram; Moin Shah, 35, son of Ishq Shah; Rahim Khan; Akhtiyar Khan; and Irfan. Ibrahim, son of Hanif, has been admitted to Ratlam district hospital. Several other injured were taken to private hospitals by their families.

Eyewitness Imamuddin Mansuri, who was part of the procession, said there was no warning. "The tazia went forward and suddenly it happened," he told reporters at the scene. A injured participant said the shock was so severe that he could not open his eyes properly even hours later.

Ratlam ASP Rakesh Pandro confirmed the sequence of events and said an investigation has been launched into whether the high-tension line met safety height standards and whether any negligence was involved. He also noted that neither police nor electricity department personnel were present along the procession route at the time of the accident.

A video of the incident has emerged, showing the moment the current spread through the crowd — people falling, others rushing to help, the procession collapsing into chaos.

The question of why a high-tension line was allowed to pass at such low clearance over a route being used for a public religious procession is now at the centre of the inquiry. Administrative and police teams reached the scene after the accident, and the investigation is ongoing.