Five kanwariyas were electrocuted and as many injured when their vehicle came in contact with a high-tension overhead wire in the Bhawanpur area of this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Saturday.

Confirming the deaths of the five people, District Magistrate Deepak Meena said the injured are undergoing treatment.

"The accident occurred when a group of kanwariyas were returning to their village on a vehicle around 8 pm. Some part of the vehicle touched the high-tension wire overhead," Meena said.

Ten kanwariyas were admitted to the hospital. Of them, five died during treatment, he said.

Enraged villagers staged a protest over the incident. Additional force has been deployed to avoid any untoward incident, the police said.

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