In a tragic incident, as many as six persons including a child lost their lives after a chariot reportedly caught fire during the ‘Ulta Rath Yatra’ in Unakoti district of Tripura on Wednesday.

As per sources, the incident occurred at around 4:30 pm at Kumarghat after the chariot pulled by thousands of people came in contact with a 133kv high-tension overhead wire, resulting in an explosion.

Reportedly, 15 persons have been injured in the incident. The injured persons are undergoing treatment in a hospital, sources said.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha condoled the loss of lives in the tragic incident. Sharing a tweet, he said, "In a tragic incident, several devotees have lost their lives & some other people sustained injuries due to electrocution during Ulta Rath Yatra at Kumarghat today. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families who lost their near and dear ones in the tragedy. In this difficult time, the State Government stands by the side of the affected families."

Manik Saha also informed that he left for the incident spot at Kumarghat via train right after the incident occurred.

It may be mentioned that, during the ‘Ulta Rath Yatra’ of Lord Jagannath, the sibling deities - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhdara and Lord Jagannath return to their abode, a week after Rath Yatra.