CHENNAI: A 17-year-old boy, returning home after his evening tuition class, was electrocuted as he stepped into a pool of stagnant rainwater on the road above a damaged underground electric cable at Peer Payilvan Street in Thiruvottiyur late on Wednesday evening. The deceased has been identified as Nafeel, a class XII student at a private school, residing on the same street.
A senior officer of the Thiruvottiyur police said the puddle was formed following the rain on Tuesday evening. “A few months ago, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had laid interlocking paver blocks along the street. We suspect that during the work, the underground cable may have been damaged,” he said.
“We have registered a case of unnatural death as of now, and after an inquiry, we will decide whether to alter it to death by negligence,” the officer added.
The boy’s family and residents staged a protest demanding action against officials of the electricity board whose alleged inaction led to the death.
Speaking to TNIE, one of the residents M Illiyas said just as Nafeel collapsed on the ground, a group of more than 10 children were about to leave a madrasa adjacent to the spot. If they had reached the puddle before Nafeel, several of them would have met a similar fate. “Seeing Nafeel fall to the ground, they stayed inside,” he said.
Another resident, Usman, said, “As Nafeel was lying on the ground in front of his mother, some of the neighbours tried to rescue him but they experienced electric shock and had to distance themselves. After more than 10 minutes, the boy was rescued and was taken to a nearby clinic, and from there, to a private hospital, where he was declared dead.”
Upon information, the police recovered the body and sent it to Government Stanley Hospital for postmortem. A probe is on.
When TNIE contacted officials from Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL), they said a proposal to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family has been sent for the chief minister’s approval and once cleared, the amount will be handed over to the family. Departmental action has been initiated to identify if there was negligence in play, the officials said.
Panel formed
Chairman and Managing Director of TNPDCL J Radhakrishnan, on Thursday evening, issued an order, constituting a committee under the chief engineer (Planning and RC) to look into recent incidents of damage to underground electrical cables and infrastructure caused during road cutting and excavation. The panel has been asked to submit a preliminary report with actionable recommendations within 15 days.
The committee will review accidents reported in Chennai and other districts, identify gaps in coordination, and propose stronger preventive and mitigation measures.
It will also suggest revisions to existing operating procedures for agencies carrying out road or emergency works near electrical lines, transformers, or related installations.
It will examine how field officials can better detect risks during line patrols and when external agencies carry out work, and are empowered to co-opt officials from local bodies as needed.
The move follows a spate of fatal and non-fatal incidents linked to poor handling of underground cables, some of which were closed without even informing TNPDCL, , the order said.
The director (distribution) has been asked to guide the panel and nominate suitable field officers.
(With inputs from S Guruvanmikanathan @ Chennai