College Student Electrocuted in Walajabad; Protesters Block Highway

A 17-year-old college student died of electrocution on Sunday afternoon after stepping on a snapped live power cable lying on the ground at a grove near Vallappakkam in Walajabad, Kancheepuram district. Following the incident, agitated local residents staged a demonstration and blocked the Walajabad-Tambaram Highway, demanding accountability from power department officials.

The deceased teenager was a first-year B.Com student at a private college located in Pallavaram. According to the Walajabad police, the youth had gone to the grove along the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu bypass road with three of his friends to collect firewood.

While cutting firewood in the grove, the student reportedly stepped on the fallen live wire without noticing it. He suffered a severe electric shock, was thrown several feet away by the impact, and died on the spot.

His friends immediately alerted the authorities. The Walajabad police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the information, recovered the body, and sent it to the Kancheepuram district government hospital for a postmortem examination.

The incident triggered intense anger among local villagers, who accused the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) of gross negligence. Residents alleged that officials had failed to identify and remove the snapped power line, creating a deadly hazard in the area.

More than a hundred residents from Vallappakkam gathered outside the Walajabad electricity office to protest against the department. The crowd then moved onto the Walajabad-Tambaram Highway, staging a road blockade that brought vehicular movement to a standstill for nearly an hour.

Senior police officials rushed to the protest site to manage the situation and initiate discussions with the demonstrators. Police officers assured the crowd that a thorough inquiry would be conducted and appropriate action taken regarding the negligence. Following the assurances, the protesters called off the agitation and dispersed, allowing traffic to gradually return to normal.