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Betul, Madhya Pradesh : In a startling incident, a bus transporting polling officials and electronic voting machines (EVMs) caught fire in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the polling staff or the bus driver.
The fire broke out near Gola village around 11 pm on Tuesday, attributed to a spark within the bus. Despite the blaze engulfing the vehicle, all occupants remained unharmed.
Several EVMs were affected, particularly those designated for booths numbered 275 to 280. The fire completely destroyed four EVMs, damaging either their control unit or ballot unit. However, two EVMs remained intact.
Prompt action from the fire brigade managed to extinguish the flames, though the bus suffered severe damage.
Concerns arose regarding the impact of the incident on the vote count stored in the damaged EVMs. The Betul Collector, Narendra Suryavanshi, assured that a report would be submitted to the Election Commission for further evaluation. Any decision regarding re-polling in the affected booths would be determined by the poll body.
Despite the setback, Betul recorded a significant turnout of 72.65% in the Lok Sabha elections.
As investigations continue and the Election Commission deliberates on the matter, the incident underscores the importance of safeguarding electoral processes against unforeseen challenges.
