A tractor carrying a large Ganesh idol on Monday near Hospet in Vijayanagara district, close to Ananthashanayagudi, touched an overhead power line, causing an electric shock that injured two men, Deepak and Hulugappa of Kamalapura, and partially burned the idol. The idol and its bamboo support stood about eight metres high as it was being moved from Hospet towards Kamalapura.
Police said the tractor and idol were partially scorched. Deepak and Hulugappa received first aid at the government hospital in Hospet before being transferred to BIMS Hospital in Ballari for further treatment. After the accident, the damaged idol was discarded in a nearby canal, unsettling a group of enthusiastic youths. The site was inspected by SP S. Jahnavi, DVS P. Murali, Rural Station Inspector Gururaj Kattimani and Traffic Station Inspector Hulugappa.