Fifteen people have died after an electricity transformer exploded on the banks of the Alaknanda River in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Five home guards and a police official, according to the authorities, were also murdered in the Chamoli district disaster.

The state’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, has ordered an inquiry into the incident, with police saying at least 15 people have also been severely injured in the accident.

They are being treated at the district’s main hospital.

Chamoli’s superintendent of police, Pramendra Dobhal said the incident took place last night, but was reported to them on Wednesday morning.

According to reports, the transformer exploded and electrified a bridge that spans the river near Pipalkoti village in Chamoli.

“We got a call from the village that a watchman had died of electrocution. When the police went to check they found that 21 people had been electrocuted and severely injured. Fifteen people died in the hospital and the rest are critical,” Hobal said. (Nigerian Tribune: Text, Excluding Headline)