CHENNAI: A 59-year-old woman died after falling into a rainwater-filled pit along Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue near the Tower Metro station on Sunday night, raising questions over the condition of roadsides in the city.
The deceased, M Kalavathi of Padi, worked as housekeeping staff at a sweet stall in Anna Nagar. Police said the exact cause of death can be ascertained only after the postmortem.
According to police, Kalavathi was walking home around 10.30 pm after visiting a church when she fell at the waterlogged stretch. The pit, around one foot deep, was located adjacent to a stormwater drain at a lower height.
Though passersby tried to rescue the woman, some allegedly felt a mild electric shock running through her body and backed away. Police then pulled her out and took her to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, but was declared dead.
Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited officials inspected the spot following allegations of power leakage but no leakage was detected, police said. Initial reports suggested that the pit had been dug by GCC as part of stormwater drain work. Anna Nagar police, however, denied this and said the depression had developed due to wear and tear. GCC officials told TNIE that drain work at the location had been completed a month ago.
An official said Kalavathi may have slipped because of the difference in level between the pavement and the adjoining road, which was waterlogged following the rain. “We suspect that she died due to injuries sustained in the fall as we could not find signs of electrocution on her body,” a police officer said.
Kalavathi’s daughter Sangeetha, however, said the family was initially given a different account of the incident. “At first, the police told me she got electrocuted. But later they said she died after slipping and falling to the ground and that the exact cause of death will be known after postmortem,” she told the media.
Police have registered a case under BNSS Section 194 (unnatural or suspicious deaths) and are examining CCTV footage to establish the exact sequence of events.
Boy drowns in stagnant pool caused by pipe leak
Pudukkottai: A 11-year-old boy drowned in a stagnant pool near a leaking drinking water pipeline at Meboothakudi junction near Viralimalai on Monday. The deceased, M Magadeep of Kalappanur, was a Class 6 student. Police said he had accompanied his father to a construction site at Meboothakudi on Viralimalai-Inamkulathur road on Sunday. After his father left, he allegedly entered the water that had accumulated in an open area to bathe. He drowned after his foot got stuck in the slush, sources said. On Monday morning, passersby noticed the body and informed police, who later sent the body for postmortem.
