CHENNAI: A 37-year-old construction worker died while attempting to rescue his brother’s family after they suffered electric shock at their residence in the Gummidipoondi SIPCOT area on Thursday night. The deceased was identified as R Nagarajan (37), a native of Gorimedu.
Police sources said Nagarajan and his elder brother, R Sekar (40), worked as daily wage labourers at a construction site and lived with their families in adjacent sheds in the same locality.
The incident occurred when Sekar’s wife, S Revathi (35), was electrocuted while removing clothes from an iron clothesline tied to a palm tree outside their house amid heavy rain. Sekar and their 16-year-old daughter, S Subha, tried to rescue her but were also electrocuted.
Nagarajan then rushed to save the three. However, he too came into contact with the live clothesline and suffered a fatal electric shock. Sekar, Revathi and Subha, who sustained serious injuries, were later referred to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for further treatment.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that there were no overhead power lines or electricity poles near the palm tree to which the clothesline was tied. Police suspect that electricity may have leaked from the house’s internal wiring to the iron clothesline. The Gummidipoondi SIPCOT police have registered a case.