59-Year-Old Woman Dies After Falling Into Pit on Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue

A 59-year-old woman died on Sunday night after falling into a rainwater-filled pit along Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue near the Tower Metro station. The incident occurred around 10.30 pm when the victim was walking home after visiting a church.

The deceased has been identified as M Kalavathi, a resident of Padi who worked as housekeeping staff at a sweet stall in Anna Nagar. Police said she fell while navigating a waterlogged stretch where a pit, approximately one foot deep, was located adjacent to a stormwater drain at a lower elevation.

Passersby who attempted to rescue Kalavathi reported feeling a mild electric shock upon touching her body and stepped back. Anna Nagar police officers subsequently pulled her from the water and transported her to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Following allegations of electrical leakage, officials from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited inspected the site. Police confirmed that no power leakage was detected in the area during the inspection.

While initial reports suggested the pit had been dug by the Greater Chennai Corporation for stormwater drain work, police stated the depression had formed due to road wear and tear. Civic officials stated that stormwater drain work at the location had been finished a month prior. An official suggested that Kalavathi may have slipped due to the height difference between the pavement and the adjoining flooded road.

A police officer stated that investigators suspect she died from injuries sustained during the fall, noting that no physical signs of electrocution were observed on her body. However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed once postmortem results are released.

Kalavathi's daughter, Sangeetha, stated that the family received conflicting information from authorities following the incident. She noted that police initially informed her that her mother had been electrocuted before later attributing the death to injuries from slipping and falling.

Anna Nagar police have registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita for unnatural or suspicious death. Investigators are currently reviewing local CCTV footage to establish the precise sequence of events leading to the incident.