SALEM: A 54-year-old man fell into a well along with the tractor he was driving after it lost control near Narasothipatti in Salem. He was recovered dead after a seven-hour rescue operation on Sunday.
The deceased, Venkatesan of Ashok Nagar in Narasothipatti, owned a grill workshop in Kuranguchavadi and also engages in farming.
Police said Venkatesan had gone to his farmland on Sunday afternoon carrying hollow bricks in his own tractor to set up a small platform inside the well for installing a motor pump. While approaching the well, the tractor suffered a brake failure. As a result, the vehicle went out of control and headed towards the well before toppling headlong into it. The well is 100 feet deep and had over 20 feet of water.
Workers present on the farmland witnessed the incident and reported it to the Suramangalam police and the fire and rescue services. Firefighters rushed to the scene and began rescue operations, using a crane to retrieve the tractor from the well. An ambulance and a medical team were kept on standby.
After nearly seven hours of strenuous efforts, Venkatesan’s body was subsequently recovered from the well. He was declared dead, and the body was sent to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem for post-mortem.
Suramangalam police have registered a case, and further investigation is under way.