India, July 29 -- LUCKNOW A six-year-old girl was critically injured with severe burns after accidentally coming in contact with a high-tension overhead power line in the Badali Kheda area of Sarojini Nagar on Monday evening. Alina, a Class 1 student, was playing on the terrace of her house in Sainik Nagar Colony with a neighbour when the incident occurred around 4pm.

The wire, reportedly carrying high voltage, had been declared defunct nearly three decades ago after residential constructions came up underneath it. However, the power lines were never dismantled and remain overhead, posing a grave safety threat, said locals.

Residents alleged that the electricity department still uses some poles of the discontinued line to supply connect...