SALEM: A 71-year-old man died of electrocution in Mummudi near Thalaivasal in Salem after allegedly stepping on a live electric wire lying on the ground after heavy rain on Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as A Karuppannan, a resident of Mummudi. His son, K.Kalaiyarasan (41), a daily-wage worker, lodged the complaint with the police.
According to the complaint, Karuppannan usually went out early in the morning to drink tea and then collect discarded plastic along the Mummudi-Veeraganur road to sell it for a living. On Friday morning, he left home around 3 am as usual. His family was later informed that he was lying dead near the local veterinary hospital.
According to the complaint, heavy rain on Thursday night caused an electric wire on Matha Koil Street in Mummudi to fall to the ground, leaving a live wire exposed on the road. Karuppannan, who was out early on Friday, is suspected to have stepped on the wire without realising that it was live, resulting in a fatal electric shock. His son, who was informed of the incident around 4 am, rushed to the spot and alerted the police.
Karupannan was taken to the Attur Government Hospital, where doctors examined him and declared him dead. His body was kept at the hospital for postmortem.
Based on Kalaiyarasan's complaint, police registered a case and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
When contacted for a response on the incident, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) officials declined to comment.