CHENNAI: A loader who was working on a ladder propped up on a plane, suffered a fracture after he slipped and hit the tarmac at the Chennai Airport, late on Tuesday night.
The tarmac and loading section of most commercial airlines are usually not elevated much, but the fall could have been from a height of about 20 feet, it was said.
While sources said that Nagaraj (40) was a contract employee of Sri Lankan Airways, the airline declined to comment on the issue.
The man was loading luggage on to flight UL 126, when the accident happened. Airport officials confirmed that the man was rushed in an ambulance to the Chrompet GH, where injuries to his arm and neck were treated.
“His left hand is fractured and there is something to worry about his head and neck, though there doesn’t appear to be any visible injury,” said a source.
The accident appears to be a freak one, as loaders and ground staff frequently clamber up on these ladders with little injury to show for it.
On Wednesday morning, the loader was supposed to be sent to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) for further investigation and treatment. RGGGH is one of the few State-run centres which has a fully functional neuro-spinal surgery department, but the worker is said to have not opted for it.
“He decided to leave and go back to his hometown Karaikudi for some rest and treatment, so he was allowed to leave,” the source added.