ISLAMABAD, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and more than 15 others injured after a ceremonial flagpole came into contact with a high-voltage power line during a Shiite Muslim mourning procession in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Sunday, local police said.
The incident occurred near Dakhan town in Shikarpur district, where hundreds of mourners had gathered for the ceremony.
Police said the large ceremonial flag lost balance and tilted onto a high-tension transmission line, causing fatal electric shocks to those carrying it and injuring several others nearby.
Rescue teams and local residents shifted the victims to hospitals in Shikarpur, Larkana and Sukkur, with many of the injured reported to be in critical condition. ■