Bus Carrying Polling Staff and EVMs Catches Fire in Betul, MP

A bus transporting polling officials and electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh, caught fire, leading to damage to several EVMs. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the polling staff and the bus driver, confirmed Betul Collector Narendra Suryavanshi.

The incident occurred near Gola village around 11 pm on Tuesday, according to Suryavanshi. He disclosed that out of the six EVMs being transported, four suffered damage in the fire. The affected EVMs were designated for booths numbered 275 to 280.

Suryavanshi assured that the matter would be promptly reported to the state Election Commission, which would assess the situation and determine whether re-polling is necessary at the affected booths.

Initial investigations suggest that the fire originated from a spark within the bus's electric panel, ruling out any human error as the cause.

This incident has raised concerns regarding the safety and security of EVMs during transportation, highlighting the need for stringent measures to prevent such mishaps in the future.

Report by Khushpreet

Graphics by Shruti