Date:07/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/07/stories/2005120719750300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Three electrocuted

Staff Reporter

Leak from an underground power cable cause of death

DEATH TRAP: Residents gather on the VGP Main Road in Mogappair West, around the spot where three persons were electrocuted on Tuesday morning. — Photo: K.Pichumani

CHENNAI : A trench suspected to have been dug by local residents to drain stagnant floodwater cost the lives of three persons, including a four-year-old girl at Mogappair West, a western suburb, on Tuesday morning.

Police identified the dead as Perumal (70), his granddaughter Shanmugapriya (4) and Rajendran (25) who rushed in to help them.

Police said Perumal, hailing from Chengalpattu came to his daughter's house on School Road, Mogappair. Around 11 a.m. he took Shanmugapriya and was walking along VGP Nagar Main Road when he and the child were electrocuted while stepping into a small pool of water. On seeing him fall, , Rajendran, who was close by went to his rescue.He too was electrocuted. All the three died on the spot, police said.

Police said an electrical leak from an underground cable was the cause of the deaths.

The cable had been damaged by movement of vehicles and a small pool of water had also formed over it. The bodies were removed to the Kilpauk Medical College hospital for post-mortem. The J.J.Nagar police have registered a case and are investigating.

EB version

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board authorities said that the road was waterlogged and to drain the water some locals, using a crowbar, had dug up the road, which punctured a low-tension power cable passing along the road margin. Continuous movement of vehicles had further damaged the cable and when water entered the cable, it led to the problem. Till 10.45 a.m. many people and children used the stretch and there were no complaints, the EB said.