18-Year-Old Electrocuted at Stormwater Drain Worksite in Chennai's Pammal

An 18-year-old youth was electrocuted on Saturday after he stepped on a damaged electrical cable at a stormwater drain worksite on Selva Vinayagar Koil Street in Pammal near Pallavaram. The incident occurred when he visited the location to deliver food to his elder brother.

The deceased has been identified as Dev Gulatar, a native of West Bengal who had moved to Chennai just a week prior to the incident. His elder brother, 26-year-old Goyal, was working at the Pammal site, where stormwater drain construction by a private contractor had been under way for the past few days, according to the Shankar Nagar police.

Police stated that Dev reached the construction site around 3 pm to hand over food to his brother. Shortly after, he accidentally stepped on a power cable connected to a road-drilling machine. Investigators suspect that the cable had been damaged, resulting in the electrocution.

A police officer noted that it was unclear whether Dev was attempting to assist with the ongoing construction work or was simply walking around the site when he came into contact with the damaged wire.

Following the incident, fellow workers at the site rushed Dev to the government hospital in Chromepet. However, doctors at the medical facility declared him brought dead.

The Shankar Nagar police sent the body for a postmortem examination and registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which pertains to unnatural or suspicious death.

Authorities are currently examining whether the electrical cable was properly insulated and whether adequate safety measures were in place at the worksite. Police are also questioning the contractor and the mason involved in the construction work.

A senior police officer noted that Dev's brother had not alleged negligence in his formal complaint, as the contracting company had assured the family of compensation, even though Dev was not employed by the firm. Police are continuing their inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.