The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 2 electrocuted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

2 electrocuted

Staff Reporter

Power cables snap due to high winds

TAMBARAM: Two persons were electrocuted in separate incidents at Kolapakkam and Pattu Mangadu coming under the jurisdiction of the Mangadu police station since Saturday night. While an 18-year-old youth died at Kolapakkam on Saturday night, a 22-year-old woman died at Pattu Mangadu on Sunday morning.

At Kolapakkam village near Kunrathur, N. Sathish died when he came into contact with a live wire that was dangling after it snapped from an Electricity Board's post on Saturday night even as his father tried to rescue him.

Sathish was returning to his house at Srinivasa Nagar, Kolapakkam, when the tragedy took place. Ilamthirayan, a friend of the victim, said Sathish was working in a provision store in nearby Mogalivakkam. "He stayed in my house till 10 p.m. He then returned to his house on a bicycle," Ilamthirayan said. Sathish was pedalling on the main road and turned right to the street leading to his locality, when he came into contact with the wire.

"Struck by the live wires, Sathish began to cry for help," he recalled. Natarajan, the victim's father who was walking behind Sathish, saw his son entangled in the cables and used his lungi to try and pull his son out, but failed. "He screamed out for help, but none of us were able to do anything," Ilamthirayan remarked.

The victim's neighbours said strong gust of winds and heavy rains caused the power cables to snap from the EB post on the main road. None noticed it as it was pitch-dark. The agitated residents of Srinivasa Nagar squarely blamed the negligence of the TNEB for the shoddy work done in connecting the power cables from post to another.

Callousness alleged

Recalling that similar incidents of snapping of cables had taken place in the locality, the residents said the EB staff were callous despite their complaints to the Board over phone and in person.

At Pattu Mangadu, Shakila (22) died when she touched a steel fence that was in contact with live wire that had snapped from its post. Shakila was staying with her husband, Ganesan, working in a teashop at Vadapalani. She was walking along the edge of the road near her house when she touched the fence, unaware of the snapped power cables that were in contact with it.

The Mangadu police have registered cases under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (death under suspicious circumstances) and are making further investigations.

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