VIRUDHUNAGAR: Summer vacation turned tragic for two teenage school boys belonging to Tiruchuli when they were electrocuted while working at a construction site of a college building in Melendal village on Saturday.
Sources said the victims were cousins. One of them, identified as Harish Kumar (15), had given his Class 9 exam and the other, Ravi Selvam (17), had written his Class 12 exam.
Police said the site supervisor claimed he was unaware of the boys working here as more than 100 people are engaged in the construction work. Sources said the boys were removing a pillar mold (made of steel) on the first floor of the site when a part of it accidentally came into contact with a nearby live wire. They were rushed to a PHC where Harish was declared dead and Ravi died while being taken to Government Hospital in Tiruchuli. An autopsy was done later.
Following an inquiry with the site supervisor, police said the boys had been brought by their uncle for work during summer vacation.
However, the supervisor warned them against working and sent them back. An FIR has been registered against the contractor and Narikudi police is inquiring into the incident.
District collector V P Jeyaseelan has instructed the officials to initiate an inquiry.“Action will be taken under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1996 and the Child Labour Act,” an official said.