CHENNAI: An electric cable,, damaged during cyclone Vardah, snapped and fell on M Chandra (55) standing in front of her Kolathur house, killing her on the spot on Monday. The cable was not repaired despite repeated complaints to the electricity board, relatives of the victim told .
Around 11 pm on Monday, Chandra was expecting her husband and was standing in front of her house on First Street, Poompuhar Nagar, Kolathur when the cable suddenly snapped and fell on a car, then on Chandra. Despite frantic efforts by her two sons to rescue and take her to a hospital, Chandra breathed her last before they could reach the hospital.
“The cable was at a height of 10 feet and passing in front of the house. She was standing alone when the incident took place,” said a police officer probing the case.
“We had dinner around 10.30 pm and she went out to check if her husband was coming back after work. Our car was parked in front of the house and she was waiting close to it when the snapped wire fell on her,” said Mani, a relative of Chandra.
“The wire was damaged in the cyclone and was not repaired despite many complaints to the electricity board officials. Most of the power cables run underground (in this area) but for five houses,” Mani said. Repeated calls to a few concerned officials of the electricity board for comments on the incident went unanswered. Chandra was a home maker and her husband Madurai was working in a tea shop.