CHENNAI: In a tragic incident near Puzhal, a three-year-old boy died after a huge metal beam, meant for an underground drainage (UGD) pipeline, fell from a crane on him on Saturday evening. Five employees from the private contract company which handles UGD pipeline-laying works for Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (Metro Water) have been arrested for the death.
According to the Puzhal police, the arrested were identified as Dilip Parik (48), mason, Arulselvan (53), manager, Muthukumar (48), deputy project manager, Venkatesan (26), supervisor, and Ramesh (38), crane operator.
The police said that around 6 pm on Saturday, the boy, V Shah Rukh Eswaran, along with his father Vignesh (28), a daily wage labourer, were walking along Kannappasamy Nagar Main Road at Kavankarai when a crane carrying the pipes was passing them by.
“As the crane was passing the two, the belt holding the beam snapped and the beam fell on them. While the kid sustained injuries to his legs and lower abdomen, his father sustained minor injuries,” said police.
Soon after the incident, passersby rushed to their aid and took them to a private hospital nearby. Neighbours and family of the kid gathered at the hospital. Despite treatment, the kid succumbed to his injuries around 1.30 am on Sunday at the hospital.
The police sent the boy’s body for postmortem and registered a case. Following an inquiry, the police arrested the five men.
Meanwhile, Metro Water sources said that the incident occurred when the contract company was moving the metal beam from a supplier to their shed. There was no work going on at the place where the incident took place.
However, quoting residents from the locality, sources said underground work has been under way on almost all streets in the area and it was a cause of concern for pedestrians and motorists.
According to local sources, the boy was returning home after placing an order for a cake as it was his birthday was on Monday. He was the only child.