3 EB workers get stuck on power tower, rescued after 7 hours in Chennai

The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) who received information from the district administration, rushed a team to the spot who carried out the rescue mission.

“Due to heavy rainfall, the wires between two towers had got snapped and fallen into the lake. So six of us went to the spot to fix it. Though the water was less in the morning, later, after intense rainfall, the water level increased rapidly. We could not hang on and three of us managed to return in the boat we came, and the rest got stuck there,” said Codammaban, an EB staff and a resident of Kelambakkam.

“We didn’t eat anything and were shivering. We were also worried about our fellow workers who left in the boat. We thought it was an hour’s work and straightaway went to address the issue. We have not been there earlier. Never expected it would end this way,” he added.

The trio got stuck around 12.30 pm and stayed in the tower for seven hours in the rain and strong winds. A senior official, who was guiding these workers from 500 metres away from the water body, informed the local body officials. The rescue team reached the spot and rescued them at 7.30 pm.

“We received the information from the district administration, and the team responded immediately along with Mahabalipuram DSP, and other local body officials. We rescued the trio who had climbed on a high-power extension electric line in the lake water area and rescued them at 7.30 pm,” said a senior NRDF official.