TiruvannamalaI, Apr 20: Five people were killed and one person was serious injured when a rope gave way while they were digging a well in Alathur village near Chengam on Friday.
The victims were identified as Velu, 38, of Alliandhal village, Thanikachalam, 50, Ravichandran, 49, Jayamurugan, 25, and Pichandi, 51, all from Thamaraipakkam. Manickam, 52, of Periakilambakkam was badly injured in the accident and was rushed to the Tiruvannamalai Government Hospital.
His condition was said to be critical, according to the doctors at GH.
Police sources said the workers were engaged in removing mud and sludge from the dug-up portion of the well inside a school compound.
While two men went inside the dug-up portion to clear the remaining mud to fix the explosive material, the other four were removing mud and other materials from the other portion of the well by using ‘rope ladder’.
After checking the dug-up portion, the two men urged the others to move to the floor area and when the men tried to climb up the rope, it gave way not being able to withstand their weight.
The three men fell on the other two inside the well along with all the material, killing them instantly. On information, the police removed the bodies to the Government Hospital in Tiruvannamalai.
Protest held
Further investigations are on. On hearing the news, relatives of those killed staged a demonstration on the Kancheepuram-Tiruvannamalai road seeking penal action against school authorities and suitable compensation. Superintendent of Police M.R. Sibi Chakravarthy along with other senior police officials rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters.
Traffic was affected on the main road for sometime, police said.
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