Three members of a family, including a seven-year-old girl, died from electrocution as they came in contact apparently with an electrified wire in Rangpur city yesterday, police said.

The dead are Tajmahal Begum, 61, her daughter Tania Wafsi, 30, and Tania’s daughter Tazmia. Of them, Tania was a teacher of Hajirhat Government Primary School in the district.

Zamir Uddin, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Rangpur (Kotwali Zone) told The Daily Star that the family lived in a rented house in Baniapara area.

Tania and her daughter went to the rooftop of the building to collect clothes around noon after it started to rain, the ASP said, quoting Rubel Islam, husband of Tania.

The two were electrocuted as soon as they touched the clothes hanged on a metal wire, the police official said, adding that Tajmahal was also electrocuted when she went upstairs hearing their screams and tried to save them.

Later, the locals rescued the victims with the help of fire service and rushed them to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced them dead.

Police were suspecting that the wire might have electrified by a live cable put in a corner of the roof.  

The cable was pulled from a source downstairs to provide electricity connection on the rooftop during a family programme of Syed Ali, the owner of the building, on Tuesday, Zamir claimed.

Police handed over the bodies to their family members in the afternoon.

Police detained Syed following the incident, Zamir added.