As many as 42 goats were electrocuted at Kottaiyur village, near Thuraiyur, on Tuesday.

Sources said the accident occurred when a live wire fell on a flock of goats while they were returning to a base. Strong gusty winds were believed to have snapped the Low Tension wire. All of them died instantaneously.

When the news broke out, the villagers thronged the spot in large numbers on Wednesday, protesting against “callousness attitude” of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation over unsafe power lines. They also demanded suitable compensation to the cattle rearer, who was from Ramanathapuram district, for the loss of goats. On information, revenue, animal husbandry and Tangedco officials rushed to the spot and held negotiation with the agitators.

The animal husbandry officials of Musiri conducted a post-mortem of dead goats and they were all buried subsequently.